“Quitting was out of the question for me.”
The 2026 Wiesn Courage Award goes to Daria Aigner. The 25-year-old server at the Augustiner Festhalle was the first to realize that a guest was in mortal danger. She performed CPR on the unconscious man for 15 minutes until the emergency doctor arrived. A six-member jury selected Aigner’s act of courage from among the submitted Wiesn Courage stories. Munichs OB Dominik Krause, patron of the WiesnGentleman* prevention project, presented the award on Friday (October 2) at the Käfer Wiesn-Schänke.
She didn't stop trying to resuscitate the man
On Tuesday afternoon, shortly before 2 p.m., the certified medical assistant noticed that a 78-year-old man had lost consciousness in his wheelchair. She could no longer feel a pulse. Together with her colleague Silja Engel, she lifted the man out of the wheelchair and began performing chest compressions.
Everyone around them pitched in. Her colleague Helena Morawietz called the emergency medical services. Daria’s twin sister, Frieda, stayed with the man’s wife and took care of her. Bartenders and servers held up towels to shield the scene from the guests. Daria continued for 15 minutes until the emergency doctor arrived and took over. “That doesn’t sound like a long time. But when you’re kneeling there and pressing, it feels endless. You’re just waiting for the emergency doctor to finally arrive, and you keep going. Stopping was out of the question for me,” recalls Daria Aigner.
She sees the award as a recognition for the entire team: “I did what I learned during my training as a medical assistant. I couldn’t have done it on my own. Silja, Helena, my sister Frieda, and my coworkers at the Schänke all pitched in. That’s why I’m accepting this award on behalf of all of us.”
Her actions are also meant to encourage others: “You always think something like this happens to other people. I hope more people will feel confident enough to take a first-aid course. Anyone can learn how to perform chest compressions.”
Munichs OB Krause: “This is exactly what the Wiesn should be like”
“Daria Aigner acted immediately when every second counted, and she didn’t give up. Above all, that takes courage. I thank her and everyone who helped that afternoon.”
For Krause, the story also shows what’s possible when people work together: “Daria Aigner performed CPR, her colleagues called 911, took care of the wife, and cordoned off the area until the emergency doctor took over. Everyone pitched in without hesitation. That’s exactly what the Wiesn should be like: looking out for one another, paying attention instead of looking away, and helping each other.”
Frederik Kronthaler, CEO of Condrobs, emphasizes: “Daria’s story illustrates very clearly what we mean by ‘Wiesn Courage’: paying attention and taking action when someone needs help. How a situation turns out is often beyond the control of those who help. But the fact that they help is not. With the Wiesn Courage Award, we also expressly thank everyone else who helps at the Wiesn, often without anyone even noticing.”
Wiesn Courage Award since 2017
Condrobs has been presenting the Wiesn Courage Award since 2017 to honor people who keep an eye out for others and offer help at Oktoberfest. This year’s award was decided by a six-member jury consisting of Stefan Murr (actor and author), Johanna Bittenbinder (actress), Max von Thun (actor), and Oktoberfest tent owners Silja Steinberg (Hofbräu Festzelt), Otto Lindinger (Bodos – Oktoberfest Munich and spokesperson for the small Oktoberfest tent owners), and Clarissa Käfer (Käfer Wiesn-Schänke).
The Wiesn Courage Award is part of the Condrobs prevention project WiesnGentleman*. For 13 years, the project has been promoting respect, moral courage, and mutual responsibility at Oktoberfest under the motto “Respect is my strength!” Its patron is Mayor Dominik Krause.
