Munich – Finally ball season again, finally three-four time again… After a two-year break, the CSU’s “Black and White Ball” took place again on Saturday. This year for the 14th time and as usual under the motto “Munich Stories”!
The glamorous event has meanwhile developed into one of the most important social events in the Bavarian state capital.
Numerous well-known personalities also came to the ballroom of the “Paulaner am Nockherberg” from 6 p.m., because the ball now has a permanent place in the appointment calendar of (dance-loving) VIPs, and not only among political celebrities, but also among business representatives and society.
dr Edmund Stoiber: “And I don’t dance rock n’ roll anymore either”
Guest of honor this year were the former Bavarian Prime Minister Dr. Edmund Stoiber. Manfred Weber, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, assumed the patronage.
The approximately 1,000 ball guests included kickboxing legend and presenter Dr. Christine Theiss with her husband, the physician and CSU politician Prof. Dr. Hans Theiss, Josef Schmid (Member of the Bavarian State Parliament) with his wife Natalie, Markus Blume (Bavarian Minister of State for Science and Art), the Bavarian Minister of State for Justice, Georg Eisenreich, lawyer Stavros Konstantinidis with his wife Saskia Greipl-Konstantinidis, moderator Alexandra Polzin with her husband, the sports presenter Gerhard Leinauer, entrepreneur Hans Hammer (initiator of the ball) with his wife Chantal and host and restaurateur Christian Schottenhamel with his wife Johanna.
dr Edmund Stoiber, who was accompanied by his wife Karin, is the honorary chairman of the CSU and a regular guest at the “Munich Stories”: “This ball is always a big social event and I’ve always enjoyed being there in previous years.” Also on the dance floor? “Yes, of course, although not as quickly as before,” he said with a smile. “And I don’t dance rock n’ roll anymore either.”
Celebrate and dance for a good cause
Sonja Weissensteiner, who moderated the ball for the first time, welcomed the guests together with entrepreneur Hans Hammer. We celebrated and danced for a good cause! The guests could do good at the charity casino and by buying raffle tickets, because this year the proceeds went to the non-profit association “München für Münchner eV”, whose founder and chairwoman is Natalie Schmid.
The association helps needy people who have gotten into economic or social hardship through no fault of their own and who live in the Bavarian capital – with a particular focus on older people: “In view of rising energy prices and living expenses, support is extremely important,” says Natalie Schmid.
“Because here in Munich alone we have almost 70,000 people affected by poverty in old age.” With her husband Josef Schmid, she was one of the first on the dance floor: “We have taken a break from dancing in the last two years,” he said.
“Now with this ball we’ve revived the basics. Today is the start of an intense ball season for us: we’re still going to the Gaudeamusball, the Magnolienball and the Filserball. I think this season it will be about the six balls, maybe one more. I always enjoy coming here because this ball is always something special and it takes place on home soil.”
Christian Schottenhamel: “It’s nice to get the tuxedo out of the closet again after a long time”
The ball was brought into being by entrepreneur Hans Hammer, who came with his wife Chantal. “What’s special about the Black and White Ball is that a wide range of Munich society comes together here, dresses up nicely and spreads optimism. Ticket sales went quickly, as in previous years,” says Hans Hammer.
And Diana Mosler, who organized the ball as in previous years, added: “It’s nice that the black and white ball can finally take place again after this long break and that everyone can celebrate and dance carefree again. We have a wonderful mix of guests here, from all age groups and not only from politics, but from all sectors of society.”
Host Christian Schottenhamel, the host of the “Paulaner am Nockherberg” and co-initiator of the ball, was happy about the full house: “It’s great that balls can finally take place here again, today the black and white ball and then in two weeks the Filserball. And it’s nice to get the tuxedo out of the closet again after a long time. Luckily mine still fit…” he said with a laugh.
Fantastic robes at the CSU ball
The ladies performed the great evening dress. Natascha Grün from the online clothing rental company “dresscoded.com” (came with her partner Param Multani) provided many of the female guests with rental dresses from her own label “Natascha Grün”, including the moderator of the evening Sonja Weissensteiner and ball organizer Diana Mosler, while star hairdresser Stefan M. Pauli from “Salon Pauli” conjured up the right hairstyles for the ball in the styling lounge and Horst Kirchberger did the make-up for many of the women.
“It’s great that after Corona, the balls are finally starting again and therefore also the long robes,” said Natascha Grün. “Lately, women have had almost no opportunity to wear a long evening dress. There has been a lack of events like this lately.”
The guests were finally able to swing their dancing legs again
“This is always a wonderful evening, even if my husband and I don’t usually dance,” says Christine Theiss (also in “Natascha Grün”). “You always meet a lot of friends and acquaintances here.”
How enthusiastic about dancing are the other guests? “Dance? Never – because of the knees!” Said Saskia Greipl-Konstantinidis. “But we like being here because the atmosphere is great and you meet a lot of friends here. It’s nice that something is finally going on again…”
“We haven’t been to a ball since the last black and white ball,” said Alexandra Polzin (in “Natascha Grün”). “But I love dancing, partly because of “Let’s Dance”, where I’ll be helping behind the scenes again for the next season and I’m already getting in the mood for it today,” she said with a laugh. “My husband, on the other hand, has two left feet and always trips his feet – he has a size 45 shoe. It’s not so easy for two to dance, but today we’ll finally dare to do it again.”
“I’m happy that there are balls again,” said Clemens Baumgärtner (business officer and Wiesn boss), who came with his wife Stefanie. But he avoided the dance floor: “You have to know what you can do. I used to be able to dance, but I can’t anymore. That’s why I prefer not to do it.”
“For me, there are things that inspire me more than dancing,” says Georg Eisenreich. “But it is a great pleasure for me that this traditional ball can finally take place again,” said the Bavarian Minister of Justice.
“We also danced at home during the lockdown,” said moderator Erich Lejeune, who was accompanied by his wife Irène. So we’re not out of practice…”
Food, awards and good music – there was a lot on offer at the “Black and White Ball”.
It wasn’t just dancing that evening… One of the highlights of the evening was the awarding of “Entrepreneur of the Year” and “Newcomer of the Year” as well as the special prize. Bakery entrepreneur Franz Höflinger jr. (Höflinger Müller GmbH) were delighted to receive the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award. The award for “Newcomer of the Year” went to Sven Ruffert, the managing director of “Green Aktiv GmbH”: an innovative company that specializes in the development and implementation of strategies for optimizing energy costs.
In addition to the Eddy Miller Orchestra and soul singer Mathew Kay, the musical highlights included the performance of the Narhalla Munich with the current show “90s Tanz-Revue” and the current royal couple.
Guests were able to fortify themselves for the night of the ball at dinner: a three-course ball menu with a vegan starter (creamy Jerusalem artichoke course with Munich quinoa patties), a choice of beef fillet, salmon or cordon bleu from tofu was served for the main course, and “Heaven der Bayern”, ie Bavarian raspberry cream, iced curd pancakes and a roasted raspberry tonka bean, and at midnight there was the traditional white sausage.
The evening was also enjoyed by: Johannes Singhammer (Vice President of the German Bundestag, Carmela Shamir (Consul General of the State of Israel), Stephan Plinsinger (Member of the German Bundestag), Member of the State Parliament Andreas Lorenz, Manuel Pretzl (City Council and CSU parliamentary group leader), the restaurateurs and board members of the small Wiesn tents Werner Hochreiter, Otto Lindinger and Josef Able, Stephanie Freifrau von Luttitz (“I’m here for the first time, next week I’m going to the Jägerball in Vienna. Balls are very popular again”), Michaela Aschberger (Belladonna), entrepreneur Ralph Piller with his wife Sabine, and much more.
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