How did Alois Hingerl become angel ALOISIUS ??? and other Bavaria, Germany General Tips

Aloisius in Hofbräu-zelt

Favorite Thing: Alois Hingerl - Dienstmann Nr. 172 , aka "Aloisius" is one of the most popular caracters created by Ludwig Thoma.

Alois Hingerl was working as an outporter (I found this word for Dienstmann in my dictionary, but it sounds strange to me) at the trainstation in Munich and died during his duty.
He came to heaven and was not able to adapt to the "strange customs" of the angels singing Hallelujah all day long.
He started to shout at St.Peter and God, and so they had the idea to send him down to Munich again for 1 day every week , in order to take some letters with "advices from heaven" for the governement of Bavaria.
So angel Aloisius flew down to the townhall, took down his wings and thought, why not having a beer in Hofbräuhaus before delivering the letter...

In Hofbräuhaus he had one beer after the other, and could not stop it, but finally forgot the letter for the governement...

Aloisius is still sitting there, having his beer, and the governement still does not know what to do...
This is a simply translation of the story of Aloisius.
If you are able to understand german, you might like to read the story, with all the funny details under this link :

CLICK here for : ALOISIUS - Ein Münchener im Himmel

Fondest Memory: Aloisius is singing Hallelujah and playing his harp on a cloud in Hofbräuhaus-Zelt on Oktoberfest - this is where I took this picture.

Leave a Comment

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

General Tips: Walter Sedelmayer

Tip Rating:

Written by globetrott

on Oct 20, 2003

Walter Sedelmayer

Favorite Thing: Walter Sedelmayer was playing the "typical Bavarian" in many TV-plays, he was working for TV and Radio, and he had a very special voice, everybody would recognize immediately.
He was able to say a simple word like yes or No in so many different intonations, and his face would also have so plenty of different expressions at the same time...

Walter Sedelmayer was killed some years ago under really bad circumstances

Fondest Memory: THIS small poster I saw recently in a window of the restaurant "Zum Sedlmayer" in Munich.
It was part of a series of commercials he had for a brewery :

He is asking his dog, bringing the hat already : " May I take another beer ??

Leave a Comment

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

General Tips: Karl Valentin & his Musäum / Musaeum

Tip Rating:

Updated by globetrott

on Oct 29, 2003

Karl Valentin

Favorite Thing: Karl Valentin was a commedian performing his own sketches - mostly with his partner Lisl Karstadt.
He had a great DRY humor and made plenty of b&w movie-scenes of his sketches.

Fondest Memory: There is even a Karl Valentin-musäum in Munich ( and THIS is also the ONLY museum written with "Ä" in German !)
There you may see important inventions by Karl Valentin such as

The toothpick for a cold winter ( coated with fir )
The musaeum is open Mo+Tue+Fr+Sat.
11.01 a.m. - 05.29 p.m. on sunday already open at 10.01 a.m.

The entrance-fee is 1,99 €uro / 1,49 € for students
children under 6 and people with an age of 99 years, accompanied by their parents are FREE of charge !!!

This statue of Karl Valentin is on Viktualienmarkt

Please click here for : Karl-Valentin-musaeum.de

Leave a Comment

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

General Tips: WOLPERTINGER - rare animals & very shy

Tip Rating:

Written by globetrott

on Oct 27, 2003

The Bavarian Lion & the Lederhosen

Favorite Thing: A very rare kind of animal is sometimes shown in a museum, or the dead body of it was prepared and is offered in a souvenirshop :
This rare animal is called WOLPERTINGER !

Fondest Memory: So far NOBODY ever saw it ALIVE, but sometimes hunters find the dead bodies of these clever and shy animals, they prepare it and sell it to the shops.
It is also rather strange, they all look different, almost no-one is alike another...

For infos, pics and prices, please have a look on my links :
Wolpertinger for sale

Wolpertinger-Galerie

On my pic, you may see the Bavarian Lion in Lederhosen...
...I am working hard to get a pic of a wolpertinger for VT as soon as possible !!

Leave a Comment

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

General Tips: Charivari

Tip Rating:

Written by globetrott

on Oct 27, 2003

Charivari on a traditional hat

Favorite Thing: Charivari is a word often used in Bavaria ( today mostly as the name of a radio-station )
But mainly "Charivari" is all these small things hanging on a traditional hat or lederhosn, on a chain around the neck or arm, that male and female Bavarians wear with their traditional costumes.

And it could be any kind of a "hunting-souvenir" like the tooth of an animal, horns of a wolpertinger ;-), Edelweiss prepared and conservated behind glass etc.

Fondest Memory: When you click on my picture, you may see the plenty of "Charivari" this Bavarian has fixed to his tradtional hat.

Leave a Comment

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

General Tips: "Auf geht's beim Schichtl"

Tip Rating:

Written by globetrott

on Oct 26, 2003

Auf gehts beim Schichtl on

Oktoberfest

Favorite Thing: "Auf geht's beim Schichtl" is an expression, you might hear sometimes in Bavaria. It means "Lets go now, lets start..."

Fondest Memory: THIS is where the expression comes from :
"Schichtl" is an old traditional "illusion-theatre" shown on Oktoberfest since more than 100 years. A few years ago the gentleman in front with the lederhosn took over Schichtl and since then it is MY favorite place to go and watch mainly ( I have to admit it ) the show that is made in order to get people into the tent.
I also saw the show several times, but somehow the pre-show is the best, and you certainly should not miss it, even if you do not know enough German ( and Bavarian ) to understand the great jokes and humor.

INSIDE they will use their gouillotine with one of the customers, and it really looks frightening ( but so far everybody survived it )
Outside they say : For just 3 € we take off the whole head of a person, for the same amount you may not even get a haircut at other places...
There are also a "butterfly dancer", Miss piggy and magicians...

Leave a Comment

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

General Tips: Schichtl - Ringo der Schreckliche...

Tip Rating:

Written by globetrott

on Oct 26, 2003

Schichtl - the best entertainment

on Oktoberfest

Favorite Thing: Bavarians often hide their charms behind a grim face...

...like Ringo - he is the assistant to the man handling the goulliotine of "Schichtl"

Fondest Memory: All persons performing at "Schichtl", have a real job as well and use their vacation for this great spectacle.
I remember almost all of these faces coming back every year to Oktoberfest and really working hard from around 09.00 a.m. till 11.00 p.m.

Leave a Comment

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

General Tips: Climb up Bavaria and see through her eyes

Tip Rating:

Written by globetrott

on Oct 26, 2003

Bavaria & Ruhmeshalle in Munich

Favorite Thing: On top of Theresienwiese you will see a statue of Bavaria with a lion sitting next to her.
You may climb up inside this 18 meters high statue and have a look out through her eyes.

Fondest Memory: 1560 tons of iron - won from melted cannons from former sea-battleships - were used to build this sculpture 1843-1850.
The whole sculpture consists of 6 pieces set togeather .
Only a limited number of persons is allowed to enter the sculpture, when they are down again, the next group may walk up.
During Oktoberfest there will be a long line of people waiting...

Leave a Comment

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

General Tips: The biggest 4-cylindre in the whole world

Tip Rating:

Written by globetrott

on Oct 26, 2003

BMW-4cylindre in Munich

Favorite Thing: The headquarters of BMW were built like a 4-cylindre-engine. Just opposite of the Olympic park you will see the large fabrication-halls of BMW and also a museum of cars in another small building in front of the 4-cylindre.
That museum is a Must for all fans of old automobiles.

Fondest Memory: BMW stands for "Bayerische Motoren Werke" - even although all diesel-engines for BMW are built in Steyr / Austria...
;-))

Leave a Comment

Add to Your Trip Planner | Post a Question | Write a Tip

General Tips: Schäffler - an important guild in Bavaria

Tip Rating:

Written by globetrott

on Oct 27, 2003

Schäffler - and important

profession in Bavaria