[Joseonggwan's Global Humanities Journey] Kissinger and FC Bayern Munchen... Oktoberfest

He was born as a Jew in 1923 in F?rth, Bavaria, Germany. In his childhood, he was passionate about soccer like any other German boy. Playing in the youth team of the F?rth soccer club, he nurtured dreams of becoming a professional soccer player.

In 1938, the year he turned fifteen, the boy's fate changed. Had he not left Germany in 1938, he would have inevitably faced the tragedy of the Jews. He is Henry Kissinger (1923?2023).

I read the news that Henry Kissinger co-authored a book titled "The World After AI" in 2021 with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and others, and I nodded in agreement. It was the result of three years of research sparked by his interest in artificial intelligence (AI) at the age of 95. Kissinger's curiosity never waned until he turned 100. One of the common traits I extracted from 'genius research' is that geniuses are people brimming with curiosity. What determines mental longevity is the presence of curiosity. People with curiosity find each day new and enjoyable. Kissinger was able to enjoy the dream of a 'healthy 100 years' because his intellectual curiosity was vigorous.

While serializing 'World Humanities Travel,' I often thought that I should write about Bavaria and Munich in Germany. Bayern (Bavaria in English).

Right after completing the '9-hour Wagner biographical film' at the art cinema DRFA365 in Donggeomdo, Ganghwa Island, this thought suddenly surged again.

In the latter part of the '9-hour Wagner biographical film,' the story of the Kingdom of Bavaria appears with the appearance of Ludwig II. The capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria was Munich, and the current capital of Bavaria state is also Munich.

The starting point for traveling Munich is the Residenz Palace. Walking around the square in front of the palace or the national symbolic road beside it, one encounters statues of the holy kings of the Kingdom of Bavaria throughout history: King Maximilian, King Otto, and Kings Ludwig I to III.

To the eyes of an outsider from the East, only Ludwig II stands out. A monarch who was a patron of culture and arts and generously supported Wagner. In fact, when entering the Residenz Palace, visitors encounter a large portrait placed at the entrance. It is King Ludwig II.

Ancestors' Flower Gallery at the Residence Palace.
Photo by Seonggwan Jo

Touring the Residenz Palace, one truly feels the immense power of the Kingdom of Bavaria in the 18th and 19th centuries. Bavaria boasted the strongest power in the German Confederation alongside Saxony before the rise of Prussia, as evidenced by numerous exhibits. There is an East Asian porcelain hall, an ancestral portrait gallery, and a jewel hall. The East Asian porcelain hall contains many national treasure-level ceramics from the Ming and Qing dynasties of China, including several pieces from the Kangxi era. The ancestral portrait gallery displays portraits of 121 former kings of Bavaria. One can feel the pinnacle of history, tradition, and splendor. It reminded me of the Sch?nbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria.

Another reason was soccer star Kim Min-jae. Kim Min-jae, who led Napoli to victory in the Italian soccer league, transferred to FC Bayern Munich, sparking a surge of interest in FC Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich is the team that has lifted the league championship trophy the most times in the German Bundesliga.

Among global soccer fans, the UEFA Champions League, which determines the strongest soccer club in Europe, is almost as popular as the World Cup. When a city's soccer club lifts the UEFA Champions League trophy, the city buzzes for several days.

The UEFA Champions League is almost dominated by the English Premier League (EPL) and Spain's La Liga (LALIGA). The team with the most UEFA titles is Real Madrid (14 times). In the world of English and Spanish soccer clubs, Bayern Munich has lifted the UEFA trophy six times: in 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, and 2020. It is by far the most successful German club. Bayern Munich, the pride of German soccer, barely maintains the honor of the Bundesliga, which has been tarnished. With a Korean player as a starting defender on such a team, even an ordinary soccer fan like me cannot help but be enthusiastic about Bayern Munich. Moreover, with Harry Kane, who played alongside Son Heung-min at Tottenham, now wearing the Bayern uniform, what more can be said?

Another reason I wanted to write about Bavaria and Munich was after hearing the news last September that Oktoberfest resumed after three years. Germany is a country of soccer and beer. Each region produces beer with unique flavors. Oktoberfest is where the world's people gather to drink these representative beers, sing, and dance. Germans were gloomy during the three years when Oktoberfest was not held due to COVID-19.

A panoramic view of the Augustiner Br?u tent installed at the Oktoberfest venue.
Photo by Seonggwan Jo

People enjoying the festival at the L?wenbr?u tent of Oktoberfest.
Photo by Seonggwan Jo

Oktoberfest, where people wear traditional costumes and sing loudly with flushed faces, spitting as they sing! I experienced Oktoberfest in 2017. Oktoberfest features about ten beer companies like Paulaner and L?wenbr?u setting up giant tents in the park. Some tents can accommodate 2,000 to 3,000 people at once. Inside the tents, stages are set up for bands to perform, and seats are arranged where the stage is clearly visible. About half of the visitors to Oktoberfest are Germans. Therefore, the band's repertoire mainly consists of German popular music. However, for foreigners unfamiliar with German pop songs, famous pop songs that the world can sing along to are also appropriately included. The best sing-along pop song is Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline.' I sang 'Sweet Caroline' at the top of my lungs in the L?wenbr?u tent. The excitement and exhilaration from that day still seem to linger on my skin. Since then, I recommend acquaintances planning trips to Germany to visit Munich during Oktoberfest.

For soccer fans aged 10 to 30, Bayern is likely stored in their prefrontal cortex as 'FC Bayern Munich.' In my case, I remember Bavaria and Munich from the blood-stained 1972 Munich Olympics. I still cannot forget the shock of the Black September incident, where the Israeli team’s accommodation was raided and killings occurred.

Those over 60 might remember Bavaria and Munich through Jeon Hye-rin's essay collection. Jeon Hye-rin went to study in Germany in her late twenties, and that place was Munich. In her posthumous work, 'And Then I Said Nothing,' Munich and Schwabing are frequently mentioned. In a time when dreaming of foreign travel was difficult, Munich was a dream for university students.

Henry Kissinger during his tenure as U.S. Secretary of State in 1973. [Photo by Wikipedia]

Coincidentally, shortly after Kissinger was born, the Nazi Party plotted a coup in Munich. The plan was to assassinate government leaders meeting at the famous Munich beer hall B?rgerbr?ukeller and overthrow the government. However, the coup attempt failed, and Hitler lost most of his followers. The Nazi Party was virtually destroyed. Through the failed coup, Hitler gained an important realization: 'You cannot seize power through revolution. You must become a democratic party to destroy democracy.'

In the 1924 general election, the Nazi Party received only 3% of the vote. Yet, in the 1933 general election, the Nazi Party gained 33% of the vote and seized power. German Jews watched the situation anxiously. When Britain, France, and Italy succumbed to Hitler and signed the Munich Agreement in 1938, a rush of Jewish escapes ensued.

At that time, the adolescent boy Henry Kissinger from F?rth also boarded a passenger ship to America holding his parents' hands. During World War II, Kissinger served in the U.S. Army in Germany.

Reading Henry Kissinger's obituary, my eyes widened at the part mentioning he was from Bavaria. Then, upon reading that he had long been a member of the FC Bayern Munich fan club, I thought I could no longer avoid writing about Bavaria.