This post was written by Manveen Maan

The annual celebration of Germany’s biggest beer festival has reached Malaysia, but this year looks sets to be a very special one here in Penang. Manveen Maan has been on the case.

PENANG MAY BE a long way from Munich, but when it comes to celebrating Oktoberfest, it’s as good a location as any. Traditionally a 16-day festival held annually in Germany, Oktoberfest runs from late September to the fi rst weekend in October and is one of the world’s largest festivals, with more than fi ve million people attending every year. Countries across the world have jumped on the Oktoberfest bandwagon and Malaysia is no exception, with various restaurants, bars, and societies hosting events each year during this month.

Horses and History

To understand the popularity behind this festival, we need to go back to 19th century Europe. The origins of Oktoberfest date back to when the Bavarian King Ludwig I wanted his people to share in the celebration of his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxe- Hildburghausen in 1810.

Ludwig organised a horse race and invited the people of Munich, around 40,000 guests, who enjoyed consuming copious amounts of beer to toast the recent wedding. It was such a success that Ludwig decided that the horse race would be held again the following year in conjunction with an agricultural show, and so the tradition began.

Although the horse race was eventually abandoned, many characteristics of the early Oktoberfest celebrations still exist today. Munich’s annual celebration is still held on the original site, dubbed Theresienwiese and situated in front of the city’s gates, and the agricultural show continues to be a defi ning feature, despite only being held every third year. The tradition of having beer and food stands is still very much alive and is possibly the most developed aspect of Oktoberfest celebrations today, with special beers being brewed for the festival itself.

The modern celebrations have replaced the small tents with giant brewery-sponsored beer halls that are able to hold up to 5,000 people, and the duration of the party has swelled too; today, the 16-day extravaganza runs until the fi rst Sunday in October.
 

German Community in Penang

The Malaysian German Society (MGS) in Penang always delivers a stellar Oktoberfest, but this year will be a particularly poignant edition as the celebrations will coincide nicely with their 50th anniversary.

While the society was founded back in 7 April 1962, the common history of Germans and Penang locals goes back much further, and the fi rst Germans settled in Penang some 150 years ago. These early settlers came to the island as merchants, bringing with them innovative tools and machinery that had been invented in their homeland.

What has now become the modernday MGS was the brainchild of Peter Hutz, one of the pioneering members of the society, and the main objective have not changed since those early days. The fostering of friendships between Malaysians and Germans, and the exchange and appreciation of cultures, science, and technique through various joint activities are the prime raison d’être for this fi ftyyear-old society.
 

The German Touch

The Malaysian-German Society takes pride in its ability to preserve the essence of German celebrations, despite being so far away from the actual events, and Oktoberfest is no exception. “Festivals are a part of German culture,” says Karl F. Ebinger, President of the Malaysian-German Society. “I grew up in Stuttgart where there is a yearly festival called the Wasen which is held at the same time as Oktoberfest and is similar to it. Over the years I learnt how the tents were set up, how to pick good music, serve delicious food and how to create gemuetlichkeit,” says Ebinger.

Indeed, this untranslatable German phrase is the backbone of every Oktoberfest celebration. Gemuetlichkeit could be best described as invoking general feelings of camaraderie, cosiness, belonging, and social acceptance. Above all, it is the spending of quality time together that makes the occasion a special one and warrants the indefi nable German description.

“The locals took some time warming up to the concept of celebrating gemuetlichkeit as the Malaysian way tends to be going out in groups and sitting with those you’re most comfortable with,” Ebinger continues. “However with the long tables at Oktoberfest, they are more at ease opening up and speaking to a neighbour they’re unlikely to have known for more than ten minutes! Beer, food and gemuetlichkeit help overcome inhibitions – people like the concept of rich and the poor, the young and the old sitting and celebrating next to each other.”

Having slightly altered the Oktoberfest celebrations to suit Malaysian tastes, the festival agenda now includes a beer drinking contest, a beer-mug carrying contest, and an arm wrestling contest. “It’s all about good food, music, beer and making friends. The most important part is to remember to relax, have a drink and enjoy the atmosphere,” says Ebinger.
 

Oktoberfest 2012

Having celebrated Oktoberfest for 40 years now, the MGS are well practiced and are expecting up to 1200 guests for the two celebrations they have lined up for the 26 and 27 October this year.

“We are very excited for this year’s festival because it coincides with our anniversary. It’s heartwarming to see the community coming together to celebrate this momentous occasion with us,” says Ebinger.

Held under huge tents set up on the lawns of the MGS grounds, the Oktoberfest guests are mostly made up of Penangites and expats keen on bringing a piece of Munich to the Pearl Of The Orient, and it is always a lively affair.

“Organising this event usually begins in April and although it’s hard work, it is always worth it in the end. The maximum capacity is 1600 people and, like every year, we anticipate a strong turnout this time around,” says Ebinger.

A Year to Remember

Besides the annual Oktoberfest celebrations, the MGS also hosts a plethora of other activities and, in honour of their 50 years of existence, the society celebrated 2012 with a series of events that started with a commemorative dinner earlier in the year, which was followed by the anniversary edition of the annual Sommernachtsball in May and a treasure hunt in September.

“We are home to a rather large German population and currently have about 400 members in the society,” says Stephan Doege, Director of the MGS. “We are, fi rst and foremost, a cultural society that promotes friendship between two nations. We are also a social point for Germans living in Penang and run a language centre providing German classes for locals.”

The MGS has certainly come a long way since its early days. With continued help from the German government and the support of the locals, one can only anticipate bigger and better things from this society. As 2012 is such a remarkable moment in the history of the MGS, there could not be a better time to get involved with the Oktoberfest celebrations and fi nd out what this gemuetlichkeit is all about!

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For more information on the Malaysian-German Society, visit www.mgs-penang.com. Oktoberfest celebrations will take place nationwide over various dates during the month, while the MGS’ events take place on 26 and 27 October.

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Source: Penang International October-November 2012

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