On what date in 1810 did the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese take place?

Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese married on October 12, 1810.

Their wedding took place in the evening in the court chapel of the Munich Residenz. Ludwig was the Bavarian crown prince, while Therese was Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Their marriage became the historical foundation of Oktoberfest, although the first festival event was held several days later.

The wedding celebrations lasted five days and included illuminations, an opera, a play, a ball, and a large horse race. On October 17, the National Guard Cavalry organized that race outside Sendlinger Tor. The site was named Theresienwiese in honor of the bride, and the festivities were repeated the following year, developing into the annual Oktoberfest.

A common mistake is to answer October 17, because that was the date of the famous horse race and the first Oktoberfest celebration. It was not the wedding date. October 12 was the marriage itself; October 17 was the concluding public celebration that helped establish the festival’s tradition.