00:00Once a year on the third Sunday of July, revelers get up before the crack of dawn for the Munich
00:05Kochelball or Cooksball.
00:08For 19-year-old Leonora Hampel, it's time to get dressed.
00:12She just drove for nearly an hour to get from her small hometown in Bavaria to Munich on
00:17time.
00:22I need to get ready, I still have to put on my derndel and makeup.
00:26Getting up at 2 in the morning is not easy, but I'm happy to do it for the Kochelball.
00:33Traditional Bavarian wear or Tracht is a must for the ball, but you've got to be up early.
00:40Who gets up at 2 in the morning just to go drink beer somewhere at 3?
00:44But once you've done it, it's really, really great.
00:49It's 3 in the morning, time to go.
00:51With a candle in one hand and her instrument in the other, Leonora winds her way between
00:56the beer benches.
00:57But how will she find her friends in the crowd?
01:00Found them!
01:03The young student is not alone with her passion for traditional folk music.
01:07She knows everyone here from her regular folk music meet-ups back home.
01:11They get together for jam sessions and will sometimes play through the night.
01:14Leonora grew up with folk music.
01:18It's probably strange for someone who hasn't grown up with it.
01:22But in my case, it gives me a sense of home, friendship and tradition, especially here at
01:28the Kochelball, because it's a historic event.
01:31It's like carrying on the torch.
01:34By now, thousands have gathered in the English Garden.
01:37Most have brought their own food and candles, but the drinks have to be bought.
01:41By 4 in the morning, there's barely a single seat left.
01:45And what is there to drink at 4 in the morning?
01:47Why, beer, of course.
01:54We just left the club, that's why we're still up.
01:58We're going to dance and have a good time, and enjoy the Kochelball to the fullest.
02:03And traditional attire, lederhosen and döndl, are back.
02:08My parents and grandparents tell me that 30 or 40 years ago, nobody would have gone to
02:12the Oktoberfest wearing traditional clothes, but nowadays it's become the trend.
02:20The Kochelball is one of Munich's most unusual traditions.
02:24The event dates back to the 19th century, when domestic workers, cooks and valets gathered
02:28to make the most of the few hours they had to themselves.
02:32Kochel was what they'd call the kitchen staff.
02:34So while the finer folks spent their Sunday mornings in church, the workers were free to
02:39celebrate.
02:39By 10 a.m. it was back to work.
02:41The ball was officially banned in 1904.
02:47Maids were having too many illegitimate babies from officers they met here.
02:52That left them unable to work for a long time.
02:55There were too many children born out of wedlock, so the ball was banned for lack of morality.
03:01The dance at the Chinese tower was reintroduced in 1989.
03:10It's nearly 6 in the morning.
03:12Time to shake a leg.
03:15Leonora can hardly wait.
03:17Her dancing partner Florian has just arrived and together they head for the dance floor.
03:27They dance the waltz, the polka and traditional folk dances.
03:31Some 12,000 guests have gathered here today.
03:34The next four hours are exclusively for dancing.
03:38No breaks.
03:41Warmth and good cheer.
03:43Nobody needs to feel left out here.
03:48Everybody's in great spirits.
03:49Munich truly is a city where you can live well as a queer person.
03:56We had the idea to drink all night and come here, but it's a good coffee.
04:06In the meantime, it's 9 in the morning and the first signs of wear are showing.
04:14I'm getting a little tired and my feet are starting to hurt.
04:18But I'm still okay.
04:20Dancing for three hours straight now, that's a workout.
04:31I'd say if you really want to experience Bavarian culture, Munich culture, visit the Kochelball,
04:36not the Oktoberfest.
04:38This is where true Munich culture lives on.
04:40And I wish more people would think about it.
04:42Where did it come from?
04:44How did the tradition develop?
04:46Maybe build some understanding and then just enjoy it.
04:48Just come and have a good time.
04:52At the final stretch, even the good summer weather has tired out.
04:56But that can't keep Bavarians from their party.
04:58Most stay right until the end at 10am and dance the last dance at the year's Munich Kochelball.
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