Photo: Frank Gaertner/Shutterstock

Oktoberfest Revelers Tried to Steal Nearly 100,000 Beer Steins in Munich This Year

Munich News Food + Drink
by Eben Diskin Oct 11, 2019

Glasses aren’t the easiest thing to steal, but some people certainly consider them the perfect souvenir — especially during Oktoberfest in Munich. This year, nearly 100,000 people tried to steal beer steins from the festival, according to the German publication The Local.

This may sound like a staggering number, but it’s actually down from last year, when around 101,000 beer steins were confiscated. Of course, stealing is cheaper than purchasing, but those who really want a souvenir do have another option. The official Oktoberfest Stein 2019 is available online for $20, though it’s not exactly the most authentic-looking beer mug.

Interestingly enough, 70,000 of these mugs were produced for sale, and they have yet to sell out, as Mike Pomranz pointed out in Food & Wine. Given that nearly 100,000 people opted to take souvenir shopping into their own hands, this may prove that a glass from the event itself (even procured illegally) is preferred to a mug anyone could order online.

Stein thievery wasn’t the only crime to occur. Other stats given to The Local by local authorities:

  • Times a beer mug was used as a weapon: 32
  • Drunk drivers caught: 774, 414 of whom were driving electric scooters
  • Number of items of clothing lost: 690
  • Number of smartphones lost: 420
  • Number of dentures lost: 1

Discover Matador