The Oktoberfest goes back to 1810 and the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig - who later became King Ludwig I of Bavaria -and Princess Theresa of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The Royal couple invited the people of Munich to celebrate on the fields in front of the city gates: the fields were then named "Theresienwiese" (Theresa's fields) in honor of the princess. The locals later abbreviated the name to "Wiesn".