Prince says 'low-cut' Oktoberfest dresses are 'cultural appropriation'

Fury over breast-revealing Oktoberfest costumes: Bavarian prince says ‘excessively low-cut, plastic folk outfits from China’ that show women’s cleavage are an insult and ‘cultural appropriation’

• The Prince of Bavaria has called Chinese-made outfits ‘cultural appropriation’ 
• He said he was worried that ‘a lot of culture and tradition’ would soon be lost
• Bavarian traditionalists have slammed the modern day festival for years 

Fake folk costumes that let festivalgoers flaunt their bodies are degrading the cultural value of Oktoberfest, a Bavarian prince has claimed. 

The 72-year-old Prince of Bavaria, Luitpold Rupprecht Heinrich, whose great-grandfather was the last Bavarian King, said that cheaply made costumes turn the historic festival into a ‘carnival.’

‘When I see Chinese-made folk costumes made of plastic, pseudo-costumes with tight dirndls, then the whole thing becomes a carnival,’ Heinrich told a local radio station.

‘We all talk about cultural appropriation today. Here it’s happening to us Bavarians!’

He added: ‘If the whole thing is just about wearing a costume to get drunk in . . . you lose a lot of culture and tradition in the process.’

Cheaply-made dirdls have been criticised as ‘cultural appropriation’ 

A Bavarian prince says it cheapens the culture and traditions of the German region

Dirdls are a traditional dress that consists of a low necklined bodice, a blouse and a high-waisted skirt

Gents are often seen in lederhosen, while ladies don ‘dirndls’, a traditional dress that consists of a low necklined bodice, a blouse and a high-waisted skirt. 

Traditionalists have argued that in recent years, Oktoberfest, which has been held in Munich for 213 years, has become less of a celebration of Bavarian culture, and more a chance for people to drink huge quantities of beer and wear low-cut and cheap fancy dress. 

But this year’s festival isn’t only facing a reckoning about dresses. Traditionalists are worried that Oktoberfest will turn into a ‘Woke Weisn’, a play on the local name for the festival, after one major tent decided to serve all-organic hens that cost 50% more than normal. 

One Oktoberfest regular, Andrea Koerner, told the Wall Street Journal that while she usually orders a hen, she paled when she saw that the price of one organic half hen was €20.50 (£17.70).

‘We don’t know the taste because it costs too much to try,’ 56-year-old Koerner said. 

But a younger guest told the newspaper that he didn’t care about this price increase. 

The Bavarian prince called the use of fake and cheaply-made dirdls ‘cultural appropriation’ 

Munich’s Oktoberfest brings in millions of visitors every single year

Luitpold Rupprecht Heinrich (pictured), whose great-grandfather was the last Bavarian King, said that cheaply made costumes turn the historic festival into a ‘carnival’

The Bavarian prince said of the modern day festival: ‘If the whole thing is just about wearing a costume to get drunk in . . . you lose a lot of culture and tradition in the process’

Millions of litres of beer are expected to be sold at this year’s festival

The first ever Oktoberfest began as a celebration of the wedding of Prince Regent Ludwig of Bavaria, the later King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in 1810

This year’s Oktoberfest is set to be a record-breaking one

Jake Williams, 32, said: ‘I don’t care at all. I guess it is good if people care about the chickens.’

The major food price hike comes as beer served in nearly all tents at the festival increased by 6% to an average of €14.50, according to a city survey. 

This is on top of a marked rise in food prices after Russia invaded Ukraine last February.

The first ever Oktoberfest began as a celebration of the wedding of Prince Regent Ludwig of Bavaria, the later King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in 1810.

Festivities for the wedding, which took place almost exactly 213 years ago, and saw Bavarian citizens celebrate with an enormous horse race.

The region’s population liked the race so much that they decided to do another one every year after that, with the festival evolving to include fairground rides and attractions in the years to come.

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