Reporting Live From Oktoberfest München

Prost! (Cheers!) And herzliches willkommen (a warm hello) from of all places, Oktoberfest München (Octoberfest in Munich, Germany)! Surprisingly, Octoberfest actually takes place mostly in September (the 2009 dates are September 19th through October 4th). The first Octoberfest was held on October 12, 1810 on the fields in front of Munich's city gates to celebrate a royal wedding. The outdoor festivities have been held almost every year since then and continue to grow annually in attendance; close to six million people are estimated to partake in this year's celebration over the course of the two weeks of the event.


Steiffgal and Steiffguy are taking a few days in Germany to participate in this 176th annual global beer appreciation event, and of course, to shop for Steiff! Expect a full blog report to follow once the party is over... but in the meantime, let's take a look at some of the wonderful beer and Oktoberfest items Steiff has produced in the recent past.


It is no surprise that Steiff would chose to celebrate Oktoberfest with bears! For 2009, Steiff has produced a 1,000 piece limited edition, five ways jointed tan Teddy - all decked out for the fall festivities. This 25 cm beer bruin wears a traditional blue and white diamond patterned Bavarian bandanna and is holding a white porcelain beer stein featuring different views of Munich. He has the word "Oktoberfest" embroidered on his foot. In Europe, he is available through Oberpollinger (www.oberpollinger.de); in the US you can order him through Bear Attack (www.bearattack.com).

As music is a big part of Oktoberfest, Steiff produced a musical Teddy to celebrate the event in 2004. This collectible is 28 cm and is made from long light blond curly mohair. He features a wind up music box. He is wearing traditional green suede lederhosen (leather shorts), a red buttoned vest, and a Tyrolean felt hat detailed with cord and a feather. He was made in an edition size of 1,500 pieces.

Togetherness and friendship are other important themes of Oktoberfest. Here we have Steiff's tribute to the celebration in 2000; a boy and girl bear in classic German garb relaxing on a wooden bench (after what we can only assume to be a long night of bier, bretzels, and dancing, etc.) The girl is 22 cm and is made from orange tipped mohair. She is wearing a red and white dirndl and a traditional lebkuchen (like gingerbread) heart shaped cookie tag around her neck. The boy is 24 cm and is made from brown mohair. He sports lederhosen, a traditionally patterned blue and white bandanna, and a grey Tyrolean felt hat.

Now onto the heart of the celebration... the beer. Steiffgal thinks it's not a coincidence that the only difference between "bear" and "beer" is only one letter; both are essential to most Steiff collectors! Take a look at this 30 cm five ways jointed light blond “Münchner Bär” from 1999. He was produced exclusively for Germany in 2001, but not specifically for Oktoberfest. He is wearing very detailed dark grey lederhosen and a grey felt Tyrolean hat. Like the Oktoberfest bear produced for 2004, this Teddy also has a wind up music box. He plays "In München steht ein Hofbrähaus", a traditional drinking song that roughly translates to "There's A Beer Hall In Munich". And to make sure he's ready for the next round at the Hofbrähaus, he carries his very own miniature glass beer stein featuring the coat of arms of Bavaria.

And finally, a toast to the people that help to make Oktoberfest what it is today... the biermonks! Here we have two fun loving, trevira velvet “bier monks” are dressed in traditional garb including cotton drawers, long red hooded tunics, and work aprons which are cinched at the waist with a thin rope. The large monk, a whopping 100 cm, has black felt feet, while the smaller 35 cm monk wears tiny leather sandals. These two monks are characters from the Alpirsbacher Klosterbraeu, a 130+ year old brewery located in Germany’s Black Forest. Steiff created these white tag, limited edition drinking buddies in 1999. Just a handful of the 100cm monks were produced, primarily for display and advertising purposes. The smaller version was produced in an edition size of 1,500.

So Steiff friends, we send our best from Munich, the city whose motto is "München mag Dich" ("Munich Loves You"). We say, right back at ya!

Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures, found on an adventure or otherwise? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.