Lilly Library now home to valuable Oktoberfest book

One of only three known books documenting the beginning of the Bavarian tradition of Oktoberfest now belongs to IU’s Lilly Library.\nThe first-edition book by Andreas Michael von Dall ‘Armi arrived at the Lilly Library last week. It was purchased from New York book dealer Martayan Lan, who said in an e-mail that the only two other known copies are in Germany.\nCurator of Books for the Lilly Library Joel Silver said that while the library receives many offers for rare books, it only buys those that fit in well with the collections and are in good condition.\n“This one was one that interested us,” Silver said. “There are other books we get offered, but don’t fit in as well.”\nSilver said the library currently has a strong collection of food, drink and European history books, which will complement the new addition.\nMartayan Lan said the book details the first Bavarian harvest festival in 1810, which centered around a 30-horse race that was followed by a feast.\nThe tradition is still celebrated in Munich, Germany, where every fall people from around the world meet for the Bavarian celebration.\nLast year graduate student Sonja Rother went to Oktoberfest, which she says is known for its excessive amounts of beer and partying.\n“It was awesome,” Rother said. “I would love to go again this year. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere. You just meet so many new people.”\nRother added that it is the most popular celebration in Germany. The 16-day event is the largest public festival in the world. \n“It’s not just regional, but everyone knows about it,” she said. “And you don’t have that in other cities – where people come from all over the world.”\nSilver said the Lilly Library acquires about 1,000 books per year. Despite the rarity of the Oktoberfest book, it was one of the library’s medium-priced acquisitions.\nTroy Byler, a Department of Germanic Studies professor, said having the original text is advantageous to researchers.\n“It’s always a prize to have the original text,” Byler said. “You can tell things from the typeset or the margins that are subtleties in the original printing that get lost in the subsequent printings.”\nThe book is currently being catalogued before being housed in the closed stacks at Lilly Library. Silver said anyone can come into the “reading room” and request to see it.