The go-to man

Jackets, phones, wedding rings: What Oktoberfest visitors lose, Hubertus Busch is often able to give back.

During Oktoberfest, my colleagues and I work at the Lost and Found in three shifts. We have 500 to 600 customers every day, some of whom have rather curious complaints: One person lost their iPad, another lost 15 000 euros in cash. Who takes such things to Oktoberfest? Who keeps their banking pin in their wallet? We seldom find out the back stories. Once, a wheelchair disappeared, only to turn up again a few days later. How do you lose a wheelchair? One couple lost both their wedding rings. And then found them again. I never discovered how.

Every day I encounter the entire spectrum of human emotions, from desperation to joy. Men and women fling their arms around my neck – or break into song. I once saw a very masculine-looking man with tears in his eyes, and a university professor who was elated when his cheap camera turned up. Others become aggressive when I forbid them from sifting through the found items themselves. Joy, rage and sadness are all amplified by alcohol.