Guten morgen, Wolfgang;  thanks for this reminder, may I ask some
follow-ups:

in Frieburg and other southern German areas, is there any use of the
Oktoberfest concept in the social calendar?  And, generally, do you think
Germans outside of Bayerne draw upon the Oktoberfest traditions in any
positive ways?  I sense in your response some real disregard for Bavarian
excess and how it paints German culture overseas; is this a typical German
reaction to Bavarian Oktoberfest?

Here in St. Louis, the beer capitol of the US (sorry folks it's not
Milwaukee)-- yes, of course, there are multiple "German" Oktoberfests on the
calendar in the coming weeks....

great to hear from you on this one, --Hal B.



On Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 3:22 AM, Wolfgang Hochbruck <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I may come across as a spoilsport, but may i point out that a "Kneipe"
> -- now used for locations rather than the tradition -- was an
> exclusively student corporation activity, that Twain's description of it
> is pure satire and doesn't have anything to do with how such an event
> was conducted historically, and that the Octoberfest is a Bavarian
> thing? One of the cruellest hoaxes  perpetrated on German culture in
> cultural history is its Octoberfestization in the U.S. Stands on a par
> with what Disney did to the Brothers Grimm, in fact it is part of the
> Disneyfication of world cultures in the name of commerce.
>
> Best,
> Wolfgang Hochbruck
>

-- 
Harold K. Bush, Ph.D
Professor of English
Saint Louis University
St. Louis, MO  63108
314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h)
<www.slu.edu/x23809.xml>