Today Oktoberfest is a raucous, if convivial, affair of which few know the origins, but it was born of the love of a righteous king for his wife, writes Karl Gustel Warnberg
We’ve all seen it across the globe. Kitsch lederhosen and dirndl - as the classic Bavarian outfits are called - worn by people who may never have set foot in the southern German lands. The traditional outfits have been lifted out of their contexts and become popularised beyond recognition. What began as a celebration of one particular couple in a specific region has become a global phenomenon. Oktoberfest is upon us, and so is the cascade of beer which accompanies it.
