Women given free shorts at Oktoberfest in bid to prevent upskirting
The 80-year-old operator of the 'Devil's Wheel' is fighting against the violating videos
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The female operator of a famous Oktoberfest ride has been handing out free cycling shorts to women to shelter them from being caught in upskirting videos at the festival.
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Teufelsrad, or ‘Devil’s Wheel,’ operator, Elisabeth Polaczy, 80, has said her donations are not cheap, but she wants to do what she can to stop people from videoing women’s underwear in their traditional Oktoberfest dirndl dresses.
While upskirting is punishable by two years behind bars in Germany, the law has failed to deter people from filming women at the festival and profiting off of these videos online in the past.
These videos are particularly pernicious on the Teufelsrad, as it is a spinning wheel on the ground which rotates at faster speeds until people fall off. This motion can cause women’s dresses to fly up, turning a fun ride into potential violation online by opportunists.
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At one point there were at least 32,000 videos of women on the Teufelsrad in circulation, some with millions of views including one clip which reportedly made €9,000 (£7,650) for its creators.
Additionally, according to reports, some videos have been digitally altered to remove women’s underwear.
Campaigners are fighting to change the technicalities around German upskirting laws which currently state that it’s only illegal if someone reaches under a dress or skirt, not if they photograph a woman whose skirt has flown up in the breeze or on a funfair ride.
Activists are also concerned about the use of glasses with cameras in them.
According to Bavarian police, they have been running a campaign since 2025 warning people against inappropriate filming and the consequences of upskirting.
The Teufelsrad tent is also filled with signs about upskirting. Despite the warnings many women, including waitresses, are opting for bicycle shorts just in case.
Police arrested a 45-year-old man this year for upskirting at the beer festival.
There were 10 arrests last year and seven the year before.
