Nockherberg München Paulaner Biergarten
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Nockherberg is the name of a small
terrace Terrace may refer to: Landforms and construction * Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river * Terrace, a street suffix * Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...
on the slope of the eastern bank of the Isar in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
, situated in the urban district of Au. An annual
beer festival A beer festival is an event at which a variety of beers are available for purchase. There may be a theme, for instance beers from a particular area, or a particular brewing style such as winter ales. Asia China *Qingdao International Beer Fes ...
rich in tradition takes place there in the
Paulaner Brewery Paulaner is a German brewery, established in 1634 in Munich by the Paulaner Order of mendicant friars. Now owned by the Schörghuber family, it is one of the six breweries which provides beer for Oktoberfest. Paulaner ranks number six amon ...
- the ''Salvator-Ausschank auf dem Nockherberg'' The name of the raised terrace is often used
synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...
ously for this festival or its opening event, the tapping of the first barrel of a strong, seasonal beer (''Starkbieranstich'').


Origin and location

The name of the Nockherberg and two nearby streets can be traced back to the banking family Nockher. The family had settled in Munich in the 18th century and built a summer house on the eastern Isar heights in 1789, the so-called ‘Nockher palace’. Hans Dollinger: ''Die Münchner Straßennamen''. 4. Auflage. Südwest, München 1999,
Zitiert nach: Heinz-Peter Meyer u. a.:, 3. Juni 2006
Sowie nach: Bettina Messinger u. a.:
Auer Mühlbach online
', 29. Mai 2006 (dort die 1. Auflage)
It was located on the street known today as 'Am Nockherberg'. The Nockherberg terrace is situated in the district of
Au-Haidhausen Au-Haidhausen (Central Bavarian: ''Au-Haidhausn'') is the 5th borough of the Germany, German city of Munich, Bavaria. It is formed by the Au (Munich), Au and Haidhausen (Munich), Haidhausen districts. Location Au lies opposite the Altstadt of t ...
. From the Nockherberg, (approx 535 m
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
), the terrain descends north-west towards the
Isar The Isar () is a river in Austria and in Bavaria, Germany. Its source is in the Karwendel mountain range of the Alps. The Isar river enters Germany near Mittenwald and flows through Krün, Wallgau, Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching ...
for approximately 20 metres. Below the hill, the street 'Am Neudeck' with the former prison is located. To the north is the
Mariahilfplatz The Mariahilfplatz is a town square on the right bank of the Isar, River Isar in the district of Au in Munich, Germany. Centrally located in the suburb of Au, the Mariahilfplatz is a well visited and active place. One of the largest fairs in Muni ...
and in a south-westerly direction the old Paulaner breweries. From Neudeck, the road ‘Am Nockherberg’, formerly named Ohlmüller Street, snakes up the mountainside and merges into Sankt Bonifatius Street at the top. The new brewery buildings between Reger Street in the east and Hoch Street in the west form the north-eastern part of the Nockherberg, with a rail connection to
München Ost station Munich East station (, also called ''München Ostbahnhof'' in regional services) is a major railway station in Munich, the capital of Bavaria, Germany. The station opened in 1871 as Haidhausen (Munich), Haidhausen station on the Munich–Mühldo ...
. Hoch Street forks off Nockerberg street near the top and joins it again via the small ‘Zacherlweg’. Across the street ‘Am Nockherberg’ from the new brewery area there is an urban park named 'Kronepark', which is situated on the south-western part of the hill and includes a playground. 'Kronepark' was built in 1958 on land owned by the former circus director and his widow Ida Krone, who died in 1957. Several flights of steps lead down to Nockher Street, formerly ‘Bei den Jägerhäusln’,Johann Peter Weigl: ''Die Au – Ein Stück München''. In: Helmut Lindner (Hrsg.): ''Giesing, Au, Haidhausen''. Aumeier, München 1979, S. 87–117 (mit einem Nachdruck des zwischen 1899 und 1928 erschienenen Flugblatts ''Geschichte des Salvator-Bieres'' der "Aktiengesellschaft Paulanerbräu Salvatorbrauerei München" auf S. 92) where the road proceeds westwards below the park. A social science research centre, the Deutsches Jugendinstitut (German Youth Institute) stands here. Columbus Square is situated at the south-western end of Nocker Street.


The strong beer festival

The strong beer festival takes place annually during
Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...
in the Paulaner main hall at Hoch Street 77. It starts around
Saint Joseph's Day Saint Joseph's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Joseph or the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, is in Western Christianity the principal feast day of Saint Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary and legal father of Jesus Christ, celebrated on 19 March. ...
(19 March) and lasts for 17 days. The festival is associated with the traditional ‘Holy Father Feast’ on April 2, commemorating
Francis of Paola Francis of Paola, O.M. (also known as Francis the Fire Handler; 27 March 1416 – 2 April 1507), was a Roman Catholic friar from the town of Paola in Calabria who founded the Order of Minims. Like his patron saint (Francis of Assisi), but unlike ...
, founder of the Paulaner
religious order A religious order is a subgroup within a larger confessional community with a distinctive high-religiosity lifestyle and clear membership. Religious orders often trace their lineage from revered teachers, venerate their Organizational founder, ...
. With its ale-benches, light music and huge crowd of visitors, today's ''Salvator-Ausschank'' resembles the
pole marquee A pole marquee or pole tent is a variety of large tent often used to shelter summer events such as shows, festivals, and weddings. They are particularly associated with typical English country garden weddings and village fetes. The basic desi ...
s at the Munich
Oktoberfest Oktoberfest (; ) is the world's largest , featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival, and is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, from mid- or late-September to the first Sunday in October. The annual event attracts more than seven milli ...
. On the Nockherberg,
beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
is not served in usual beer glasses, but in , tankards made of robust earthenware. The sturdy tankards keep the beer cool longer and also make ‘undemonstrative’ refilling possible.


History

Serving strong beer at Lent can be traced back to a regulation from the religious order of the Paulaner ( Minims] monastery in Neudeck ob der Au. The Paulaner Monasticism, monks have brewed beer in the monastery for their own consumption at least since 1634. Their nutrition was, on principle, very modest, even more so during Lent, and therefore they were permitted to brew a stronger version of their ‘liquid bread’ during this time of fasting. This strong beer, that has been brewed every year in spring since 1651, was named the ‘Holy Father Beer’ in honour of the founder of the order; later it was given the name '' Salvator'' beer. The monks later sold Salvator beer also to the public – mainly to supply the poor rural population with a nourishing drink during Lent, but also to supplement the monastery's income. In the 18th century the Bavarian elector was habitually invited to the annual tapping of the first
keg A keg is a small cask used for storing liquids. Wooden kegs made by a cooper were used to transport nails, gunpowder, and a variety of liquids. Nowadays a keg is normally constructed of stainless steel, although aluminium can be used if it is ...
of strong beer on April 2 and he was served the first mug of beer. In a mandate dated 31 March 1751, elector Maximilian III. Joseph explicitly permitted the public serving of beer on the feast day of Francis of Paola. On 26 February 1780, Karl Theodor, elector of Bavaria since 1777, permitted the Paulaner monks to serve beer to the public year-round. The ‘Holy Father Feast’ of 1799, at which the whole court of elector Maximilian IV. Joseph participated, was the city's largest
Volksfest A ( ; German for "people's festival")Cognate of "folk festival" in English is a large event in German-speaking countries which usually combines a beer festival or wine festival and a travelling funfair. Attractions may include amusement rides, g ...
up to that date. However, that same year the monastery of Neudeck was disbanded. The brewery located opposite the monastery was expropriated in the course of
secularisation In sociology, secularization () is a multilayered concept that generally denotes "a transition from a religious to a more worldly level." There are many types of secularization and most do not lead to atheism or irreligion, nor are they automatica ...
and initially sold to the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...
in 1803. In 1806, master brewer (1772–1849) took a lease on the Paulaner brewery and eventually purchased it in 1813, whereby the
brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...
became an ordinary commercial undertaking. 'Zacherlweg' at the Nockherberg is a street named after him. Zacherl continued the tradition of annual strong-beer tapping on 2 April and the festive sale of beer (''Ausschank'') in the following
Octave In music, an octave (: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is an interval between two notes, one having twice the frequency of vibration of the other. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referr ...
(eight days). Towards the middle of the 19th century, the first tapping shifted to March and the strong beer time was extended. In 1861, the ''Salvator-Ausschank'' started the Sunday before St. Joseph's Day and lasted for 12 days. Starting in 1858, the brewery arranged for performances by
Gstanzl The Gstanzl (Austro-Bavarian for ''Gestanzel'', "stanza") is a traditional type of mocking songs particularly known in the Austrian-Bavarian regions. A Gstanzl normally consists of four lines, sometimes eight, and is sung in dialect. They can eithe ...
singers and popular folk actors (') to increase business. During the tapping in 1891, the first "Salvator speech" was held. After an interruption from 1939 to 1950 due to
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the strong beer festival reappeared in its present form, during which individual politicians were made fun of in clever speeches; the German term for being subjected to this kind of friendly insult is ''derbleckt''.


The 'Salvator Battle' of 1888

The only violent event in the history of the town festival occurred on 23 May 1888, when a trivial quarrel turned into a mass brawl between
soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The wo ...
s and civilians. When an artillerist drew his sabre, a fight broke out in which walking-sticks and beer mugs were also put to good use, causing a relatively large number of injuries. The fight spread throughout the hall and into the garden. Neither the
gendarmes A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "men-at-arms" (). In France and som ...
nor the jail guard from Neudeck could control the mob, so a 50-man unit of
Heavy Cavalry Heavy cavalry was a class of cavalry intended to deliver a battlefield charge and also to act as a Military reserve, tactical reserve; they are also often termed ''shock cavalry''. Although their equipment differed greatly depending on the re ...
was called, who rode into the hall swinging their sabres. When the conflict broke out there had been only one gendarmerie sergeant on duty at the Nockherberg. In a later investigation this was considered the reason for the inability to control the
escalation Escalation is the process of increasing or rising, derived from the concept of an escalator. Specific uses of the term include: * Cost escalation, an increase in the price of goods * Conflict escalation, an increase in the intensity of a conflict ...
. It was also claimed that irritation caused by an increase in the price of Salvator beer was the underlying reason for the wrath of the festival guests. The 'scandal year' 1888 remained a topic of conversation in Munich for many years.


Venue

The ''Salvator-Ausschank'' did not originally take place on the Nockherberg but in the old brewery at Neudeck, on the corner of Falken Street and Ohlmüller Street. In 1822, the ''Zacherlgarten'' inn was constructed on the grounds of the Paulaner garden to facilitate year-round drinking of Lent beer; it existed until 2008. From 1846 until 1860, beer was tapped in the so-called ''Neudecker Garden''Bettina Messinger u. a.
''Auer Mühlbach online''
29. Mai 2006 (mit weiteren Hintergrundinformationen zu Landschaft und Brauerei)
on a field nearby. In 1858, banker Georg Nockher sold his summer residence on the Nockherberg to the Paulaner brewery (called "Zacherlbräu" at that time), and it was turned into a
beer garden A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...
. Starting in spring 1861, beer was served only here in the new ''Zacherl-Keller'', renamed the ''Salvator-Keller'' in 1928. The inn ''Zum Nockhergarten'', the former Nockher palace (''Nockherschlösschen''), was razed in 1903/1904. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the brewery gallery with its massive arches was used as the command post of Munich's air-raid defence headquarters. Part of the building was also made available to the public as a shelter. The cellar was completely destroyed during a
bombing raid Strategic bombing is a systematically organized and executed military attack from the air which can utilize strategic bombers, long- or medium-range missiles, or nuclear-armed fighter-bomber aircraft to attack targets deemed vital to the enemy' ...
on 24 April 1944. The new ''Salvator-Keller'', designed by professor Franz Zell, reopened on 11 March 1950. On 28 August 1965, the extreme right-wing NPD held its first federal party conference in the ''Salvator-Keller''. In the night of 27 to 28 November 1999, the cellar, now called ''Paulaner-Keller'', was almost entirely destroyed by arson. Firefighting operations with 89 fire engines lasted for two days. The resulting damage amounted to approximately 15 million euros. In spite of intensive efforts, the offender has so far not been identified amongst 650 suspects. In March 2004, 39-year-old Karl R., known as the "step-brother" of Nockherberg publican Peter Pongratz and relative of the Fischer-Vroni family, was remanded in custody as a suspect in the crime.
Süddeutsche Zeitung The ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'' (; ), published in Munich, Bavaria, is one of the largest and most influential daily newspapers in Germany. The tone of ''SZ'' is mainly described as centre-left, liberal, social-liberal, progressive-liberal, and ...
:
Nockherberg-Brand – Feuer wegen privater Fehde
'' 31. März 2004.
However, he was released after a few months for lack of evidence. In the years 2000 to 2002, the ''Salvator-Ausschank'' took place in a specially-built tent on the
Mariahilfplatz The Mariahilfplatz is a town square on the right bank of the Isar, River Isar in the district of Au in Munich, Germany. Centrally located in the suburb of Au, the Mariahilfplatz is a well visited and active place. One of the largest fairs in Muni ...
below the Nockherberg. The ''Paulaner-Keller'' was torn down in 2001 and in 2003 replaced by a newly constructed above-ground Paulaner festive hall, which offers room for up to 2500 customers. The reconstruction cost around 25 million euros. One of the rooms in the vaulted cellar of the new inn ''Paulaner am Nockherberg'' is now once again called the ''Salvatorkeller''. The fountain, famous from television advertising, is located in the beer garden, which has again been accessible since 2003.


Political kick-off: sampling the strong beer

The kick-off event of the annual ''Salvator-Ausschank'' is the tasting of the first strong beer of the "fifth season", attended by many regional and federal Bavarian politicians. Due to Bavarian Television broadcasts since 1982, the tapping of the strong beer keg on the Nockherberg and the subsequent program can be viewed by a wide audience. The television broadcast in 2004 had approximately 2.8 million viewers. In 2015, the live-broadcast was followed by 2.8 million viewers Germany-wide, of which 2.05 million were Bavarian viewers. The event begins with an actual
beer tasting Beer tasting is the experience of sampling beer. Depending on how the tasting is designed, it can be a way to learn more about the history, ingredients and production of beer as well as different beer styles, hops, yeast and beer presentation. A co ...
. The first
Maß ' (pronounced ) or ' ( Swiss and Bavarian spelling, elsewhere used for dialectal ) is the German word describing the amount of beer in a regulation mug, in modern times exactly . is also a common abbreviation for ', the handled drinking vess ...
, which was originally presented to the prince-elector, has been handed to the Bavarian minister-president since 1965. The head of the brewery passes him the mug with the traditional words: ''Salve pater patriae! Bibas, princeps optime!'' ( lat. "Be welcome, father of the fatherland! Drink, best prince!"). However, the present "father of the nation" is not expected to carry out the traditional Salvator test, which would not function anyway because the recipe has been modified; originally, Lenten beer was considered to be strong enough only if a bench drenched with the beer would adhere to a person's Lederhosen when he attempted to stand up. The highlight of the event is the ' of politicians, a political cabaret in front of invited guests, consisting of a speech followed by a
Singspiel A Singspiel (; plural: ; ) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias which were often strophic, or folk- ...
. In both contributions current Munich issues as well as sharp commentaries on regional and federal politics are presented in cleverly worded ironic statements and more or less heavy sideswipes aimed at politicians of all parties. For a Bavarian politician, not being "derbleckt", meaning not being taken for a ride in the festive contributions, can almost be interpreted as a sign of one's irrelevance or lack of a distinctive personality. In 1991, the Nockerberg beer festival was cancelled due to the
Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
, and in 2003 due to the
Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
. In 2009 the event was scheduled for 12 March but postponed to the end of the ''Salvator-Ausschank'' period on 2 April because of the
Winnenden school shooting The Winnenden school shooting occurred on the morning of 11 March 2009 at the Albertville-Realschule, a secondary school in Winnenden, southwestern Germany, followed by a shootout at a car dealership in nearby Wendlingen. The shooting spree resu ...
.


Tradition of ''Derblecken''

' ( Bavarian for 'making fun of someone') can be traced back to the tradition of an innkeeper greeting his guests. In former times he was apt to know all the villagers by name and was quite familiar with all the local stories and rumours. Regular guests were frequently teased with those stories by humorous and self-confident innkeepers. For events where the guests were to be welcomed in a similar way,
rhetoric Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. It is one of the three ancient arts of discourse ( trivium) along with grammar and logic/ dialectic. As an academic discipline within the humanities, rhetoric aims to study the techniques that speakers or w ...
ally less talented innkeepers or hosts ordered professional or
Gstanzl The Gstanzl (Austro-Bavarian for ''Gestanzel'', "stanza") is a traditional type of mocking songs particularly known in the Austrian-Bavarian regions. A Gstanzl normally consists of four lines, sometimes eight, and is sung in dialect. They can eithe ...
singers who informed themselves about the guests' peculiarities and sensitivities beforehand. The victims of mockery were expected to take it with good grace, since any offense taken would give rise to even greater public amusement.Hannes Burger 1998, S. 63, 15 This tradition is still cultivated today. Since the 'victims' are invited guests, overly rude or insulting criticism, which would reflect on the host (or the brewery itself) is prohibited. Consequently, the authors of the festive contributions strive to put forth particularly critical 'attacks' indirectly, with clever wording, or with a wink.


Commemorative speech

The first Salvator speaker was humourist Jakob Geist in 1891. In 1922 he was followed by actor
Weiß Ferdl Weiss Ferdl (28 June 1883 – 19 June 1949, real name: ''Ferdinand Weisheitinger'') was a German actor, humorous folksinger, and author. He appeared in 19 films between 1928 and 1941 and performed regularly at the Platzl, a well-known Munic ...
, master of ceremonies
Adolf Gondrell Adolf Gondrell (1902–1954) was a German stage and film actor known for his comedy roles. His name is also seen as Adolph Gondrell. After working as master of ceremonies at the Simplizissimus cabaret in Munich, "he bought the cabaret Simpl in 1 ...
, Gstanzl singer
Roider Jackl Roider Jackl (17 June 1906 in Weihmichl – 8 May 1975 in Freising; real name: ''Jakob Roider'') was a German performer, singer, and folk singer, who performed in Bavarian language. He became famous in the 1950s especially because of the wr ...
and radio host Emil Vierlinger, who organised the
radio broadcasting Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio signal, audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a lan ...
of the ''Derblecken'' on the Nockherberg after World War II. After his serious illness in the 1970s,
Michl Lang Michl Lang (16 January 1899 – 21 December 1979) was a German stage and film actorGoble p.457 Selected filmography * ''The Unsuspecting Angel'' (1936) * '' Geheimakte W.B.1'' (1942) * '' A Heart Beats for You'' (1949) * '' King for One Night'' (1 ...
, Klaus Havenstein,
Franz Schönhuber Franz Xaver Schönhuber (10 January 1923 – 27 November 2005) was a German right-wing extremist journalist, politician, and author. He gained fame as a founder and eventual chairman of the right-wing German party The Republicans. He was a memb ...
,
Ernst Maria Lang Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Adolf Ernst (1832–1899) German botanist known by the author abbreviation "Ernst" * Anton Ernst (born ...
, and finally the actor and Paulaner spokesperson
Walter Sedlmayr Walter Sedlmayr (6 January 1926 – 14 July 1990) was a popular German stage, television, and film actor from Bavaria. His murder in 1990 was widely publicized. Career After his 1945 wartime '' Abitur,'' Sedlmayr served as a '' Flakhelfer'' ...
(1982–1990) took over. From 1992 to 2010 the speakers (with the exception of 2007) performed the role of the monk Bruder Barnabas, who holds a Lenten "sermon" for the guests. The role can be traced back to the Paulaner monk
Friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...
Barnabas (1750–1795), whose original name was Valentin Stephan Still. He became a master brewer in Munich in 1774 and is said to have invented the basic recipe for the modern Salvator strong beer. The first Salvator speaker who performed in the historical role of Brother Barnabas was Max Grießer (1992–1996), followed by
Erich Hallhuber Erich Hallhuber (July 14, 1951 – September 17, 2003) was a Bavarian actor. He was born in Munich and worked in theatre, opera, television and film. Background Erich Huber Hallhuber was born in Munich, Germany. His father was an opera singer ...
(1997–1998). Hallhuber insisted on being permitted to change the text of speechwriter Hannes Burger, while Burger himself insisted on a verbatim performance of his text. Due to this argument Hallhuber cancelled his performance at short notice in 1999. His successor Gerd Fischer (1999–2003) presented his sermons in a tone that benevolently pitied those he ''derbleckt''. With the cabaret artist
Bruno Jonas Bruno Jonas (born in Passau, Germany, on 3 December 1952) is a German Kabarett artist and actor. Education Many people predicted he would become a priest, but he prefers to pray from the Kabarett stage. Between 1975 and 1982, he studied German, ...
(2004–2006) the Lenten sermons again became more sharp-tongued. In 2007, the Lower Bavarian cabaret artist Django Asül gave the Salvator speech without a cowl. From 2008 to 2010, the former
Edmund Stoiber Edmund Rüdiger Stoiber (born 28 September 1941) is a German politician who served as the 16th minister-president of the state of Bavaria between 1993 and 2007 and chairman of the Christian Social Union (CSU) between 1999 and 2007. In 2002, he ...
-double Michael Lerchenberg gave the Lenten sermon again in the role of Brother Barnabas. The author Hannes Burger wrote the "commemorative" ''Derblecken'' speeches for 22 years, from 1982 until 2003. Since 2004 the speakers have written their own texts. In the years 2008 to 2010, cabaret artist Christian Springer was co-author of the Lenten sermons. He resigned as ''Derblecker'', as did speaker Michael Lechrenberg, after some public figures, including
Guido Westerwelle Guido Westerwelle (; 27 December 1961 – 18 March 2016) was a German politician who served as foreign minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice-Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011, being the first openly gay perso ...
, Christine Haderthauer, and
Charlotte Knobloch Charlotte Knobloch (born 29 October 1932, as Charlotte Neuland) is the former President of Central Council of Jews in Germany () from 2006 to 2010. She is also Vice President of the European Jewish Congress and the World Jewish Congress. She ...
were offended by the content of their sermons. Since 2011 Luise Kinseher has given the Salvator speech (status: 2016). She is the first female to do so. She performs in the role of Mama Bavaria, whom she personified during the ''Singspiel'' in 2010.


''Singspiel''

The commemorative speech is followed by the ''Salvatorspiel'' in which numerous politicians are parodied. Until 1985 the singspiel was stage-managed by Olf Fischer, then, until 1988, by the leading BR entertainment head Helmut Kirchhammer, who also guided the team of authors. Until 2009, under the direction of Eva Demmelhuber, the singing cabaret was gradually expanded into a real stage performance with a new theme and stage setting every year. In the year 2010 Alfons Biedermann took over the direction. For the first time newly composed songs were provided by Matin Lingnau (music) and Heiko Wohlgemuth (texts). One of the main authors of the Salvatorspiel was Holger Paetz from 1999 to 2009, who also portrayed FDP politician
Guido Westerwelle Guido Westerwelle (; 27 December 1961 – 18 March 2016) was a German politician who served as foreign minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice-Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011, being the first openly gay perso ...
. Particularly well known actors were also
Walter Fitz Walter may refer to: People and fictional characters * Walter (name), including a list of people and fictional and mythical characters with the given name or surname * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–19 ...
as
Franz Josef Strauß Franz Josef Strauss ( ; 6 September 1915 – 3 October 1988) was a German politician. He was the long-time chairman of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) from 1961 until 1988, member of the federal cabinet in different positions between ...
, Michael Lerchenberg as
Edmund Stoiber Edmund Rüdiger Stoiber (born 28 September 1941) is a German politician who served as the 16th minister-president of the state of Bavaria between 1993 and 2007 and chairman of the Christian Social Union (CSU) between 1999 and 2007. In 2002, he ...
, co-author Ulli Bauer as Munich's mayor
Christian Ude Christian Ude (born 26 October 1947) is a German politician who served as mayor of Munich from 1993 to 2014. He is a member of the German Social Democratic Party. Career Ude was born in Munich. From 1967 to 1969 he worked for the daily newspa ...
, Corinna Duhr as
Angela Merkel Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German retired politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. She is the only woman to have held the office. She was Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2005 and Leade ...
, as well as
Veronika Fitz Veronika Fitz (28 March 1936 – 2 January 2020) was a German television actress. She also had some solo-shows on the stage and produced a few singles. Her daughter Ariela Bogenberger is a director and producer. Selected filmography * ''The Vul ...
, Georg Blädel, André Hartmann, Max Grießer, and Klaus Havenstein. After the singspiel the attendant politicians were photographed by the cameras of the journalists and television stations together with the actors who parodied them. The singspiel has been show-managed by
Marcus H. Rosenmüller Marcus H. Rosenmüller is a German film director and screenwriter. He wrote and directed the films '' Grave Decisions'', ' and directed ', ' and '. Selected filmography * '' Grave Decisions'' (2006) * ' (2006) * ' (2007) * ' (2008) * ' (2008 ...
since 2013.


Artistic appreciation

The traditional Salvator festival inspired numerous artists in Munich. Poems and drawings with the strong beer and the serving of this on the Nockherberg as a motif abounded, many of which can be found in the brewery's guestbook, or were published in Munich magazines, including input from well-known authors such as
Karl Valentin Karl Valentin (, born Valentin Ludwig Fey; 4 June 1882 – 9 February 1948) was a Bavarian comedian. He had significant influence on German Weimar culture. Valentin starred in many silent films in the 1920s, and was sometimes called the "Cha ...
and
Paul Heyse Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse (; 15 March 1830 – 2 April 1914) was a German writer and translator. A member of two important literary societies, the '' Tunnel über der Spree'' in Berlin and '' Die Krokodile'' in Munich, he wrote novels, poetry ...
. The
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...
''Salvator'' (music by Theo Rupprecht, text by Max Ferner, Philipp Wichand and ) premiered in Munich in 1911 featuring Father Barnabas as a central character, and served as the model for the 1952 film ''
Monks, Girls and Hungarian Soldiers ''Monks, Girls and Hungarian Soldiers'' () is a 1952 West German historical adventure comedy film directed by Ferdinand Dörfler and starring Joe Stöckel, Paul Hartmann and Rudolf Fernau.Klossner p. 262 It was made at the Bavaria Studios in Mu ...
''. Eduard Ille (1823–1900), painter, illustrator, caricaturist, and author from Munich become a Salvator poet. In many contributions to the humorous magazine
Fliegende Blätter The ' ("Flying Leaves"; also translated as "Flying Pages" or "Loose Sheets") was a German weekly humor and satire magazine appearing between 1845 and 1944 in Munich. Many of the illustrations were by well-known artists such as Wilhelm Busch, Cou ...
he glamourized Salvator beer and its 'founder' Father Barnabas. In the following poem he describes the electoral beer tasting, which took place in March. It can almost be considered a hymn to Lenten beer. When in March nigh Passion Sunday / springtime once again was near, rode – to honour an old custom – / he himself, our Lord Elector up to Neudeck ob der Au, / Paulaner brewery was his goal. There our sovereign Lord was greeted / by Barnabas, the brewery monk, who with delight and full of joy / offered him a mug of beer with a greeting that evermore / a common saying did remain: "Salve, pater patriae! / Bibas, princeps optime!"


Other aspects of the site

The high terrain at the Nockherberg, which was formed almost 10,000 years ago, provided not only a safe location and storage place for the population of Au but also a supply of water and energy which they used in creative ways, not only for breweries.


Formation and geology

In the
Tertiary Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to: * Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago * Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...
, a sea periodically extended from the foot of the
Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...
to the highlands of the
Bavarian Forest image:Zell-bayerischer-wald.jpg, The village of Zell in the Bavarian Forest The Bavarian Forest ( or ''Bayerwald'' ; ) is a wooded, low-mountain region in Bavaria, Germany, that is about 100 kilometres long. It runs along the Czech Republic, C ...
. This sea was filled increasingly with weathering material from the Alps. The finest and youngest deposition layer of the Tertiary (upper fresh water
molasse __NOTOC__ In geology, "molasse" () are sandstones, shales and conglomerates that form as terrestrial or shallow marine deposits in front of rising mountain chains. The molasse deposits accumulate in a foreland basin, especially on top of flys ...
of the
Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
), the , now forms a water runoff, known as a
soil horizon A soil horizon is a layer parallel to the soil surface whose physical, chemical and biological characteristics differ from the layers above and beneath. Horizons are defined in many cases by obvious physical features, mainly colour and texture. ...
, which retains groundwater. For this reason springs emerge from the hillsides in the Isartal at several places in Munich, as can be observed at Spring Street, beneath the northern Hoch Street.Johann Peter Weigl: ''Kyesinga – Das Dorf Giesing''. In: Helmut Lindner (Hrsg.): ''Giesing, Au, Haidhausen''. Aumeier, München 1979, S. 30–50 (S. 33, 35) These springs played an important role in the drinking water supply of the local population at least until the beginning of the 20th century. During the
ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...
s of the
Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...
,
glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
s and meltwater covered the Flinz with rough erosion- and weathering material from the Alps, which formed the
Munich gravel plain The Munich gravel plain () is an outwash plain in Upper Bavaria, Germany, formed during Late Pleistocene glacial periods. Characterized by its very wide extension, it comprises sandur terraces and the floodplain of the Isar river. These most rece ...
. Since further erosion occurred, only the last two gravel layers remained in the Giesinger region. The Giesinger gravel area formed terraces, along with the neighbouring Harlachinger gravel area four to ten metres higher. Towards the end of the last ice age, approximately 10,000 years ago, the Isar dug its present valley, known as the Au, out of these terraces. Thus, beside the sloping edge along Nockherberg and Hoch street, further uplands in this area, for example the Drum mountain with the ramp of Candid Street, 'Am Bergsteig' and the Giesinger mountain, emerged as well. Since the steep street gradients of over 12% constructed there proved to be a significant traffic obstruction, several elaborate slope modifications were undertaken between 1890 and 1935. At the Nockherberg, the re-design took place in the years 1904/1905, whereby the former Nocker palace was demolished. Likewise, since 1904, the Nockherberg stairway connects Hoch Street in front of the Paulaner brewery with Ohlmüller Street at the foot of the Nockherberg.


Use

Between approximately 1150 and 1301, the lords of Giesing were said to have had a manorhouse at the Nockherberg near today's Ruhe Street. Ownership of the estate at the Nockherberg can be traced from the 15th century up to the time of its sale to the Nockher family on 13 July 1789. The edge of the terrace on and nearby 'Berg' formerly provided ideal conditions for many breweries to construct storage cellars and deep-water wells. From the early 19th century onwards, nearly all of the city's 60 breweries had built summer beer cellars on the Isar hillside in the Au, as well as in Haidhausen. The transition from being only a storage and sales operation to a summertime beer-serving inn is generally perceived as the beginning of the Bavarian
beer garden A beer garden (German: ''Biergarten'') is an outdoor area in which beer and food are served, typically at shared tables shaded by trees. Beer gardens originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital city, in the 19th century, and remain co ...
tradition. The Paulander brewery transported the water needed for brewing from their own 10-metre-deep wells. The tunnel used still exists and can be viewed in the course of a tour through the brewery. Today, water for brewing is provided by wells which have a depth of 210–240 m. The
Auer Mühlbach Auer Mühlbach is a river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a branch of the Isar in the southern part of Munich. History Long before the "official" founding of the city of Munich, the water power of the Isar was used for the operation of mills. Since t ...
, a tributary of the Isar, runs between Nockherberg and Neudeuck and has appeared above ground at this location only since 2002. The formerly wild stream has played a significant role in providing energy since the Middle Ages,. In 1816 it drove a total of 60
water wheel A water wheel is a machine for converting the kinetic energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a large wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with numerous b ...
s in the Au. From 1881, this urban stream was used to power the
chiller A chiller is a machine that removes heat from a liquid coolant via a vapor-compression refrigeration, vapor-compression, adsorption refrigeration, or absorption refrigerator, absorption refrigeration cycles. This liquid can then be circulated th ...
invented by
Carl von Linde Carl Paul Gottfried von Linde (11 June 1842 – 16 November 1934) was a German scientist, engineer, and businessman. He discovered the refrigeration cycle and invented the first industrial-scale air separation and gas liquefaction processes, ...
. This ice machine made it possible for the Paulander brewery to brew beer year-round, and it can still be viewed today.


Literature

* Hannes Burger: ''350 Jahre Paulaner-Salvator-Thomasbräu AG. 1634–1984. Jubiläums-Festschrift.'' Paulaner-Salvator-Thomasbräu AG, München 1984 * ders.: ''Politiker derblecken beim Salvator. Hinter den Kulissen vom Nockherberg.'' 2. Auflage, Rosenheimer Verlagshaus, Rosenheim 1998, . * Gerd Holzheimer: ''Der Münchner Nockherberg.'' In: ''Charivari.'' 21. März 1995, Bergemann & Mayer, S. 14–17, . * Helmut Lindner (Hrsg.): ''Giesing, Au, Haidhausen. Alte Dörfer rechts der Isar vor den Toren Münchens. Seit 125 Jahren bei München.'' Aumeier, München 1979 (especially the essays referred to in the footnotes) * Peter Klimesch: ''Drunt in der grünen Au. Die Nockherstraße im Wandel der Zeit.'' (Darin ein Kapitel über den Nockherberg) Norderstedt 2014, . * Peter Klimesch: ''Bilder aus der alten Au.'' Books on Demand 2015, .bod.de: Bilder aus der alten Au
/ref>


External links



– Information of the brewery about events, strong beer and the ballroom

at Bayerischen Rundfunk (numerous pictures, videos and audio files concerning the strong beer tasting) *
Am Nockherberg hört der Spaß auf
'' article by Hannes Burger in the newspaper ''
Welt am Sonntag ''Welt am Sonntag'' (German for ''World on Sunday'') is a German Sunday newspaper published in Germany. History and profile ''Welt am Sonntag'' was established in 1948. The paper is published by Axel Springer SE. Its head office is in Berlin. ...
,'' of 4 März 2001 *
Im Münchner Osten, wo der Berg ruft – Starkbierfest auf dem Nockherberg
' see website of Manfred Wirth ''Bayerische Bierfeste und Biergärten''
Nockherberg Dossier
– collection of articles related to the history and background of the 'Derblecken' at the Nockherberg with reports on lenten sermon and Singspiel at


References

{{Authority control Beer gardens in Germany Munich Beer festivals Beer festivals in Germany Geography of Munich Politics of Bavaria