TheBierborseisanopen-aireventdevotedtotheartofbrewingthroughouttheworld.Itiscomposedoftwothirdsbeer-servingbusinessesandonethirdaccompanyingsnackspecialities.Therangeissupplementedbyparticipantsofferingproductstypicalofbeer.Thatmaybenotonlythelocalbeerclubbutalsothebeer-matselleroratankardstand.
TheGermanMunchenerOktoberfestgoesbacktoaneventinOctober1810andthendevelopedintoanannualeventorganisedbythebreweriesandentertainmentbusinessesinMunich.TheGermanMunchenerOktoberfestveryquicklyacquiredthereputationofbeingthelargestpublicfestivalonEarthand,asaresultofimitatorsallovertheglobe,becameafestivalformwelcomeeverywhere.In1810,nobodycouldhaveanticipatedthismeteoricdevelopment.
TheOpladenerBierborsegoesbackto1987,i.e.177yearslater,whenHerbertSondermann,anativeofOpladen,hadtheideaofintroducingabeereventandputthisintoeffectintheformofasmalleventwithsevenbeerstandsinthepedestrianprecinctinOpladen.Atthattimeaswell,nobodyanticipatedwhatawonderfuleventwastodevelopfromthesebeginnings.Today,HerbertSondermannwearstheBundesverdienstkreuz(OrderofMerit)oftheFederalRepublicofGermanyforhisservicestoOpladen;becausethesmallbeereventinthepedestrianprecinctinOpladenhasnowbecomethelargestopen-aireventinthehistoryofthecityofLeverkusenandthelargesteventofthiskindanywhereintheworld.
Inmorethantenyearsofdevelopmentwork,theBierborsehasbeendeveloped,accordingtostringentrulesandnumerousselectioncriteria,intooneofthemostsuccessfulGermanpublicfestivalswithoutanyblendingwithothertypesofeventsuchasfunfairsorevenjunkmarkets.ThisalsoillustrateshowitdiffersfromtheMunchenerOktoberfest.
Onlythelargenumberofbeertypesfromallovertheworldallowthevisitorstosampleevenunusualvarieties.Theseinclude,forexample,SanMiguelfromSpain,EfesfromTurkeyorCoronafromMexicowhichrevivememoriesofpastholidaytrips.
ThesmallhousebrewerieswhosebeersarenotoftenofferedondraughtoutsidetheirbrewinglocationsarealsoregularguestsattheBIERBORSEevents.Therangeonofferisroundedoffbythewell-knownGermanbrandswhichformthefoundationoftheBierborse.Thisispresentedinacosybeer-gardenatmosphere