DiasporaPublished: 12 October 2026 at 10:57

A Munich Royal Wedding 216 Years Ago Started the Oktoberfest Tradition

On 12 October 1810, Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig married Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen in Munich. The wedding is regarded as the origin of Germany's well-known Oktoberfest.

Today, 12 October, marks 216 years since an event that launched one of Germany's best-known traditions. On 12 October 1810, in Munich, the capital of Bavaria, the then Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig Wittelsbach celebrated his wedding to Therese, the daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

This wedding became the starting point for the festival now known as Oktoberfest. The tradition has survived to the present day: every October, beer is drunk in large quantities in Munich from sizeable mugs.

The history feature "This Day in History" notes the date as an example of how a single dynastic ceremony grew into an annual popular tradition.

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