Polaczy, the 80‑year‑old operator of Munich’s oldest amusement ride, handed out over 100 free cycling shorts to women and girls on the Teufelsrad during this year’s Oktoberfest, a move she says offsets the risk of skirts being lifted by the ride’s spinning platform. The short‑arm, 420‑m‑diameter wheel, which has spun for more than a century, can fling a dirndl’s hem up to several feet, exposing the rider to voyeuristic cameras.
Thousands of videos—32,000 to be exact—featuring women on the Teufelsrad have circulated online, some amassing millions of views. A single clip earned a woman €9,000, according to German broadcaster BR. The footage frequently shows traditional dirndl dresses with visible underwear, and in a few cases, digital manipulation has made the women appear naked. In Germany, filming under a skirt is illegal and can lead to a two‑year prison sentence, but critics argue the law fails to cover every scenario in which intimate images are captured.
Bavarian police have issued posters and run a campaign warning visitors about upskirting since 2025. This year, a 45‑year‑old Swiss man was arrested for filming under a German woman's dirndl, joining 10 arrests last year and seven in 2024. The city has also banned live streaming from the festival and requires a permit for paid filming, a policy that has seen hundreds of permits issued to influencers seeking sponsorships.
Josephine Ballon, head of the non‑profit Hate Aid, said the current law applies only when a camera is aimed under a skirt, leaving gaps when a skirt simply lifts. She urged stronger legislation and accountability for platforms that host intimate images. Polaczy, who has been giving shorts for three years, added that the practice costs her but offers peace of mind, and noted that waitresses have begun wearing cycling shorts beneath their dirndls.
The city’s new legislation draft, still in discussion, would broaden protections against upskirting and could impose harsher penalties. Police are preparing to enforce stricter penalties this season, and authorities expect the new bill to be tabled in the coming weeks. The short‑arm’s operators, festival-goers, and digital‑violence advocates all await the outcome, hoping the measure will make the ride safer for everyone.