If you are taking a motorhome to the Munich Oktoberfest, then you will probably spend some time in the Munich Beer halls, so what are they?
Beer halls in the early 20th century existed in most larger southern German cities, where hundreds or even thousands of people were able to gather during the evenings, drink beer and often engage in political or social debate. They were also places where political rallies could be held, a tradition still alive today. One of the largest beer halls in Munich was the “Bürgerbräukeller”, where the Beer Hall Putsch was launched.
The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed attempt at revolution that occurred between the evening of 8 November and the early afternoon of 9 November 1923, when Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff, and other heads of the Kampfbund unsuccessfully tried to seize power in Munich, Bavaria, and Germany. Putsch is the German word for a military coup d’état.
So if you are heading off to the Munich beer halls this autumn, do delve into the history of Oktoberfest and the history of Munich too, it’s fascinating stuff.