Oktoberfest as World Heritage Site

Munich. The Oktoberfest should become part of the world cultural heritage of UNESCO - for the 200th anniversary of the biggest folk festival in the world, the request has been brought up again.

The german carnival union in Berlin renewed their proposal, with Wiesn director Gabriele Weishà¤upl welcoming the idea.

"I support the idea still" said Weishà¤upl on tuesday in Munich. "The Wiesn is a special cultural asset for Munich, for Bavaria - and for the entire world." The carnival union already demanded the approval of folk festivals as immaterial cutural assets, over a year ago.

"Germany has to finally create the legal framework", demands carnyl director Helmut Gels. "After that we can apply for the Oktoberfest, and every other historical folk festival in our country, to the world heritage list of UNESCO."

Considered as protected cultural treasures besides the Oktoberfest, are the centuries old Libori folks fest in Paderborn and the Straubinger Gà¤ubodenfest, explained a carny union spokesman Norbert Faltin. The carnies hope for more attentiveness and the preservation of the historical folkfestivals. The carnival union asked the federal government to make the respective application. "We haven't heard a reply yet."

The Oktoberfest starts on the 18th of September and lasts to the 4th of Oktober -  the event was extended for one day, to honor it's anniversary. The folks fest relates to the wedding celebrations of crown prince Ludwig, later king Ludwig I., with princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen from the 12th to the 17th, Oktober 1810. The area, on which a horse race was held as an ending to the wedding ceremony, was named Theresenwiese after the bride - which is where the abbreviation "Wiesn" comes from.