Each autumn, Munich pauses to renew an old covenant between a city and its traditions — the 191st Oktoberfest opened Saturday as new Green Party mayor Dominik Krause struck the ceremonial barrel twice, releasing the first pour at noon before six million expected pilgrims. The ritual, unchanged in its bones across nearly two centuries, carries within it quieter stories: of preparation and legitimacy, of belonging purchased at rising cost, and of the human willingness to sleep on pavement for a seat at a shared table.