Beer garden 1

In 1837 the Munich patrician Joseph, Baron von Maffei bought the Hirschau terrain at the north-east corner of the Englischer Garten park, land which had been the hunting reserve of Bavarian Dukes and Princes since the thirteenth century.

The engineering firm Joseph von Maffei established there prospered and expanded and to provide for the needs of the workers there was soon a corner of the Hirschau where food and drink was served.

Krauss-Maffei, of course, is a concern which exists to this day, although the plant was relocated to a Munich suburb just prior the the Second Word War.

But in Hirschau, I note with trainspotter pleasure, Maffei built locomotives. The one shown dates from 1874. Maffei engines pulled the trains of the Royal Bavarian State Railway at speeds of up to ninety kilometres and hour.

I didn't bore Jessi's girlfriend with all this yesterday evening at the Hirschau, indeed I only learned of the history of the beer garden this morning! 

However I did spend some time apologizing. Not for the beer which was excellent, but for the musical ambience. For whereas I had expected perhaps a traditional oom-pah ensemble there was instead on the podium the Klaus Ammann Big Band! Twenty-two musicians performed a varied repertoire, not omitting the obligatory Glen Miller standards. To be perfectly honest, I enjoyed the show hugely and the eleven o'clock finale came (for me) all too soon.