The nostalgic Ferris wheel of Oktoberfest and Auer Dult
Russenrad
The Russenrad, also known as the “Russian swing,” is the oldest Ferris wheel still in operation in Bavaria and is one of the most traditional rides at the Munich Oktoberfest and the Auer Dult. It will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025.
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The Russenrad underwent extensive renovation in 2022
The Russenrad was built in 1925 by the Franz Gundelwein carousel factory in Thuringia and purchased by Josef Esterl, a shoemaker from Schwabing. With a height of 14 meters and twelve gondolas, it may be a miniature Ferris wheel, but it is a true cult object. One highlight is the nostalgic concert organ from the Bruder company in Waldkirch im Breisgau, which is played using music rolls.
The Russenrad remained in the Esterl family for three generations until it was on the verge of closure due to strict TÜV requirements. The Willenborg family of showmen took it over from the previous owners, Herbert Koppenhöfer and his sister Edith Simon, the grandchildren of Josef Esterl, and had it extensively restored in 2022. Since 2023, the Ferris wheel has been back at the Auer Dult with a new white and blue color scheme, and since 2024 it has been back at the Oktoberfest.
Trivia: Curd Jürgens “died” on the Ferris wheel
In 1954, the Ferris wheel played a role in the final scene of the film “Rummelplatz der Liebe” (Carnival of Love) with Curd Jürgens and Eva Bartok, as well as in the US version “Carnival Story” with Anne Baxter and Steve Cochran. The villain falls to his death from the Ferris wheel. Both films were shot by director Kurt Neumann in Munich at the same time.
