Munich Local Customs

"Stammtisch" is an expression you will see in many restaurats, mostly it is the biggest table at the stove.

"Stammtisch" is the table where certain groups of local people meet on a regular basis, in some cases they even spend the whole day there, drinking, eating and talking with their friends...

NEVER sit down at such a table, waiters and local people may react rather rude !

In hotel Mader we have a great sentence written above the Stammtisch :

Bei mia z'haus bin i nia z'haus !
Aber im Wirtshaus bin i wia z'haus !

( it sounds best, when you understand the local dialect and a translation might be :
In my home I am never at home, but in the inn I feel like at home)

Krinoline is a really nice, Bavarian kind of merry-go-round.
It got the name Krinoline because of the very special way it moves. (Krinoline is french for petticoat)
It does not only go around in cercles, but makes also a certain movement up and down, just like the petticoat of a traditional bavarian costume.
And the best of all is the slow ooompa-music that made the Krinoline one of the most popular attractions for people of all ages since 1924.

The price for a ride is very moderate, and you may find it rather close to Schichtl.

As a waiter you have to be able to carry heavy trays of food and be able to carry 6-10 glasses of 1 litre beer with just 2 hands.
Try that at home, the weight will be a total of maybe 15-20 kg that you have to carry across the tent.

( This might be one of the reasons, why glasses are not always filled completely :-)

BUT there are also jobs, where you need a winning smile and the right feeling for the customers - like the Photo-girls on my picture.
They go to each table, offering to take photos, that will be printed out directely or within short time, sometimes these personal pics will be part of a personal postcard of munich with some sights and your photos...

other students offer souvenirs, Pretzels, funny hats or T-shirts directely at the table...

Maybe you get the idea to work during Oktoberfest, in order to earn a lot of money ??

YES you can, BUT it is a really HARD JOB, as you have to work each day from the beginning to the very end.

I had collegues working as waiters in one of the big tents and they earned about 6000 DM (ca.3000 Euros ) within these 14 days.
A lot of money for a lot of work !!

All sorts of jobs are offered, just have a look on this link and the one below :

Click here for infos about jobs on Oktoberfest !
All infos are in GERMAN - BUT you will need good knowledge of German anyway for such a job !

On my pic: Ochsenbraterei, where you may watch the waiters and cooks, while working !

The Bavarian Crown-prince Ludwig married Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in october 12th, 1810 and he decided to let the ordinary people and his court participate in a festivity called "Rossrennerts" - some sort of a racing-competition with horses.
This race took place far ahead of town on an open meadow and it got the name Theresienwiese , because of the name of the bride.

This was the beginning of Oktoberfest .
Later it was prolonged and started already in september, in order to have a better weather.
It became the biggest annual festivity in the world and every 3rd year a great agricultural exhibition is part of the fest and always to be found in the back of Theresienwiese.

Charivari is a word often used in Bavaria ( today mostly as the name of a radio-station )
But mainly "Charivari" is all these small things hanging on a traditional hat or lederhosn, on a chain around the neck or arm, that male and female Bavarians wear with their traditional costumes.

And it could be any kind of a "hunting-souvenir" like bird-feathers, the teeth of an animal, horns of a wolpertinger ;-), Edelweiss prepared and conservated behind glass etc.

When you click on my picture, you may see the plenty of "Charivari" this Bavarian has fixed to his tradtional hat.

Bavaria is very strict, when it comes to morality...

...BUT since plenty of years you may see people spending their lunch-break in " Englischer Garten " or at " Flaucher " sunbathing topless or with even less than that.
Flaucher is close to the camping-site in Thalkirchen, and you will pass by there, when you go cycling along the river Isar...

Well, most of the people you may see there simply cannot compare with the beauty I show on my picture....
... I found her in Herrenchiemsee, close to the castle.

WIESENTREFF is a rather new idea, some people had a few years ago :
Directely there, where the people get out of the U-bahn-station Theresienwiese, you have an official meeting-point, where you may meet your friends, and even post them a message on a board !

And when it is raining, a few people waiting there even have a large umbrella protecting them, while waiting...