The Auer Dult is a traditional

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

, combinding a market and a German style

folk festival A folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music. This list includes folk festivals worldwide, except those with only a partial focus on folk music or arts. Folk festivals may also feature folk dance or ethnic foods. Handicra ...

. It takes place three times per year on the

Mariahilfplatz The Mariahilfplatz is a town square on the right bank of the 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 Munich, th ...

in the Munich district of Au, fuelled by around three hundred traders and showmen, by the rule. Both sections - market and funfair - are separated by the neo-gothic Mariahilfkirche (Mariahilf Church) in the very middle of the square. In contrast to the

Oktoberfest The Oktoberfest (; bar, Wiesn, Oktobafest) is the world's largest Volksfest, featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival. It is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid- or ...

and the Munich Spring Festival (''Münchner Frühlingsfest''), the Auer Dult is much less touristy, but way more local, discreet and calm. In the course of the year, around 300,000 visitors are counted. The first fair of the year, the so-called ''Maidult'' (May fair) starts on the first Saturday of the month. ''Jakobidult'' takes place in late July and early August (beginning on the Saturday after the feast day of St. James) and ''Kirchweihdult'' occurs round the middle of October, from Saturday prior to Kirchweih till the following Sunday. Each one lasts nine days.

History

''Dult'' is an old word in East Upper German to describe a traditional fair. Munich's ''Jakobidult'' (round St. Jacob's / James's name day, the 25. July) was first established in 1310 on the meadow on which the modern day Sankt-Jakobs Platz was established. The second fair of the year in town having been the now famous and touristy

Christmas market A Christmas market, also known as ''Christkindlmarkt'' (literally: ''Christ Child Market'', but the term "Christkind" usually refers to an angel-like "spirit of Christmas" rather than literally the Christ Child), ''Christkindlesmarkt'', ''Chris ...

. From 1791 the former occurred on the stretch of Kaufinger and Neuhauser streets. In 1796 Elector Karl Theodor bestowed on the nearby suburb of Au, located on a floodplain opposite town (i.e., east of the

Isar The Isar is a river in Tyrol, Austria, and Bavaria, Germany, which is not navigable for watercraft above raft size. Its source is in the Karwendel range of the Alps in Tyrol; it enters Germany near Mittenwald and flows through Bad Tölz, Mu ...

) and a small village at the time, the right to hold a fair (Dult) of its own twice a year. From this came the name and necessary distinction ''Auer Dult''. Starting in 1799, the locals held fairs in May and October, modern Maidult (May fair) and Kirchweihdult (parish fair). After Au's incorporation to the City of Munich in 1854, the Jakobidult was moved there also, creating the known triplet of events. Except the mid and post war years of 1943-1946 and in 2020 due to Corona, the fair has taken place three times per year since 1905.

Market

The Auer Dult is considered to be the largest crockery market in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. Pots,

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...

and other

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain, ...

wares are available at numerous ''Standl'' (''little stands'', i.e., sales booths). In addition, other household accessories, natural healing remedies and clothes are available. Many stands also offer antique books and commodities. The assortment of items ranges from

chamber pot A chamber pot is a portable toilet, meant for nocturnal use in the bedroom. It was common in many cultures before the advent of indoor plumbing and flushing toilets. Names and etymology "Chamber" is an older term for bedroom. The chamber pot ...

s to rustic furniture.

Folk Festival

Next to the area of the Standl is a second one, where there are typical fairground rides. Until including 2019 there also used to be a small

Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsule ...

, called the '' Russenrad'' (''Russian's wheel''). Visitors find a chairoplane, a child's roundabout, a swing boat, a horse riding track, dodgems and shooting galleries. There are also various takeaways and a beer tent which offers typical Bavarian specialities like the famous and much-beloved '' Steckerlfisch''.

References

External links

auerdult.de
* :de:Russenrad {{coord, 48, 07, 30, N, 11, 34, 59, E, display=title, region:DE-BY_type:landmark_source:dewiki Retail markets in Munich