The numbers are in for the 2008 edition of Oktoberfest in Munich, and thanks to the online edition of Der Spiegel, we’ve got ‘em!
It was a mite bit chilly and more than little rainy this year, according to all reports, and that kept both visitor count and beer consumption down, says Der Spiegel. Six million people attended the two week fest, which is down 200,000 from last year. What’s more, those who did attend didn’t make up for their lack of numbers in drinking, as beer sales declined 300,000 litres to 6.6 million, although appetites evidently remained rapacious, with the number of oxen served holding fast at 104.
What’s both interesting and unusual in the Der Spiegel report, however, is the statistics from the lost and found department. Among the items those 6 million folk misplaced were: 680 identity cards and passports, 410 wallets, 265 pairs of glasses, 280 cell phones, 80 cameras, a superman costume, 4 wedding rings and a long-haired Dachshund, the last of which was eventually reunited with its owner.For the first time, though, no false teeth were turned in as found or reported lost.
For more on Oktoberfest, check out my report from last year at World of Beer.
