The Oktoberfest, known as the largest folk festival in the world, originated in Munich in 1810. To celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, a large horse race was held on October 17th on a meadow outside the city gates. This meadow was named "Theresienwiese" in honor of the bride and remains the site of the Oktoberfest to this day.
In the following years, the Oktoberfest continued to develop. Starting in 1819, the city of Munich took over the organization, and the festival grew with additional attractions such as carousels and lottery booths. Since 1850, the statue of Bavaria has watched over the festival grounds, and in 1898, the first large festival tent was erected. Today, the Oktoberfest attracts millions of visitors from all over the world every year and is a significant economic factor for the city.