Brauerei Ottakringer
Encyclopedia
The Ottakringer Brauerei is the last large brewery
remaining in Vienna
, Austria
and is located in Ottakring
, the 16th district of Vienna.
had granted approval for brewing. In 1850, it was taken over and expanded into a large brewery by the cousins, Ignaz and Jakob Kuffner from Lundenburg
. Within ten years, the production increased from 18,318 hl to 64,183 hl. When Kaiser Franz Joseph
ordered that the city walls be pulled down and a large number of residential building began to be built, the Ottakringer Brewery grew as well. A new fermentation cellar and a larger warehouse went into operation. Around 1890, the production was already at about 170,000 hl. Moriz von Kuffner
, the son of Ignaz von Kuffner, took over the brewery in 1882 and increased the production to over 350,000 hl in the last year before the war
, a quantity which was not again reached between the World Wars. Before the First World War in 1905, Kuffner converted the brewery into a joint-stock company.
Even before the annexation of Austria
by Nazi
Germany, Moriz von Kuffner was forced to sell his business because of his Jewish
background. It was sold for a rather low price of 14 million Austrian schilling
s (about 36 million euros at today's values) to Gustav Harmer, who was also forced out of the business for two years after the war. After the liberation by the Allies, the brewery was temporarily managed by the Russians, before the Harmer family managed to legally prove their purchase and again manufactured 150,000 hl as of 1955. The heirs of Moriz von Kuffner, who had died in Zürich
in the meantime, were compensated because of their explusion and the threats of the Nazi regime, which had led to the sale of the business to the Harmer family.
In 1977, the brewery considerably contributed to the breaking up of the beer cartel
by withdrawing from it. From that time on, any restaurant could choose whichever beer
brewery it wanted as a supplier, independently of its location. In 1986, the Ottakringer Brewery was listed on the stock exchange. In 1989, bottling in the brown bottles usually used in Austria was stopped and Ottakringer Brewery was the first brewery in Austria to introduce the well-known green "shoulder bottles".
In 2007, the company initiated a joint partnership with an Iran
ian company to build a factory in Tehran
for producing non-alcoholic beer.
and 49% of the shares of the Glückauf Brauerei. The parent company also owns the mineral water manufacturer, Vöslauer, which is located in Bad Vöslau
.
of 11.8° Plato. Other brands are the Goldfassl special beer or Goldfassl Pils, a light, pilsner-style beer, as well as the Ottakringer Radler
, which is a mixture of 50% Helles and 50% lemonade.
Also in the range of products is the nearly alcohol-free beer, Null Komma Josef, whose brandname is an allusion to its alcohol content of under 0.5%. In contrast, the brewery's strongest beer (7.6% alcohol) is the Ottakringer Bock
, which is only produced for special occasions (Christmas and Easter). The company also produces Ottakringer Dunkles, a dark beer, Ottakringer Schnitt, a mixture of light and dark beer, Ottakringer Zwickl, an unfiltered light beer, and Ottakringer Zwickl Rot, a darker unfiltered beer.
The Gerstenboden of the brewery can also be used as an event location for up to 300 people.
The brewery has sponsored the Austrian football champions SK Rapid Wien
for many years.
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
remaining in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and is located in Ottakring
Ottakring
Ottakring is the 16th District in the city of Vienna, Austria . It is located west of the central districts, north of Penzing and south of Hernals. Ottakring has some heavily populated urban areas with many residential buildings...
, the 16th district of Vienna.
History
The Ottakringer Brewery was opened in 1837 by the master miller Heinrich Plank under the name of Planksche Brauerei, after the ruling diocese of KlosterneuburgKlosterneuburg
Klosterneuburg is an attractive small town in Lower Austria, Austria with a population of 24,442.It is located on the Danube, immediately north of Vienna, from which it is separated by the Kahlenberg and Leopoldsberg hills...
had granted approval for brewing. In 1850, it was taken over and expanded into a large brewery by the cousins, Ignaz and Jakob Kuffner from Lundenburg
Breclav
Břeclav is a town in the South Moravian Region, Czech Republic, approximately 55 km southeast of Brno. It is located at the border with Lower Austria on the Dyje River. The nearest large town on Austrian territory is Hohenau an der March...
. Within ten years, the production increased from 18,318 hl to 64,183 hl. When Kaiser Franz Joseph
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
ordered that the city walls be pulled down and a large number of residential building began to be built, the Ottakringer Brewery grew as well. A new fermentation cellar and a larger warehouse went into operation. Around 1890, the production was already at about 170,000 hl. Moriz von Kuffner
Moriz von Kuffner
Moriz von Kuffner was a Jewish-Austrian industrialist, art collector, mountaineer and philanthropist. From the 1880s to the early 1910s he made a fortune in the brewery business, and became a significant sponsor of Vienna's social and cultural life as well as a mentor of astronomy...
, the son of Ignaz von Kuffner, took over the brewery in 1882 and increased the production to over 350,000 hl in the last year before the war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, a quantity which was not again reached between the World Wars. Before the First World War in 1905, Kuffner converted the brewery into a joint-stock company.
Even before the annexation of Austria
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
by Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
Germany, Moriz von Kuffner was forced to sell his business because of his Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
background. It was sold for a rather low price of 14 million Austrian schilling
Austrian schilling
The schilling was the currency of Austria from 1924 to 1938 and from 1945 to 1999, and the circulating currency until 2002. The euro was introduced at a fixed parity of €1 = 13.7603 schilling to replace it...
s (about 36 million euros at today's values) to Gustav Harmer, who was also forced out of the business for two years after the war. After the liberation by the Allies, the brewery was temporarily managed by the Russians, before the Harmer family managed to legally prove their purchase and again manufactured 150,000 hl as of 1955. The heirs of Moriz von Kuffner, who had died in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
in the meantime, were compensated because of their explusion and the threats of the Nazi regime, which had led to the sale of the business to the Harmer family.
In 1977, the brewery considerably contributed to the breaking up of the beer cartel
Cartel
A cartel is a formal agreement among competing firms. It is a formal organization of producers and manufacturers that agree to fix prices, marketing, and production. Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry, where there is a small number of sellers and usually involve homogeneous products...
by withdrawing from it. From that time on, any restaurant could choose whichever beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
brewery it wanted as a supplier, independently of its location. In 1986, the Ottakringer Brewery was listed on the stock exchange. In 1989, bottling in the brown bottles usually used in Austria was stopped and Ottakringer Brewery was the first brewery in Austria to introduce the well-known green "shoulder bottles".
In 2007, the company initiated a joint partnership with an Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian company to build a factory in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
for producing non-alcoholic beer.
Structure of the Company
The parent company, Getränkeindustrie Holding AG, owns 70.31% of Ottakringer Brauerei AG. Besides owning shares in other firms, the brewery also owns 49% of the shares of the Innstadt Brauerei AG, which owns 100% of the shares of the Innstadt Brewery in PassauPassau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
and 49% of the shares of the Glückauf Brauerei. The parent company also owns the mineral water manufacturer, Vöslauer, which is located in Bad Vöslau
Bad Vöslau
Bad Vöslau is a spa town the Lower Austria federal state of Austria. It is also known as the cradle of the Austrian red wine cultivation. Population : 11,190.- History :...
.
Products
The most popular brand is Ottakringer Helles, a beer with an alcohol content of 5.2% and a wortWort
Wort may refer to:* Wort, the liquid created by the mashing of malted barley to use in brewing beer* Worting, Hampshire, a large district and suburb of the town of Basingstoke, in Hampshire, England....
of 11.8° Plato. Other brands are the Goldfassl special beer or Goldfassl Pils, a light, pilsner-style beer, as well as the Ottakringer Radler
Radler
The Radler is a Biermischgetränk with a long history in German-speaking regions. Consisting of a 50%/50% or 60%/40% mixture of various types of beer and German-style soda pop or lemonade, the invention of the Radler has been widely attributed to the Munich gastronomer Franz Xaver Kugler in 1922...
, which is a mixture of 50% Helles and 50% lemonade.
Also in the range of products is the nearly alcohol-free beer, Null Komma Josef, whose brandname is an allusion to its alcohol content of under 0.5%. In contrast, the brewery's strongest beer (7.6% alcohol) is the Ottakringer Bock
Bock
Bock is a strong lager of German origin. Several substyles exist, including maibock or helles bock, a paler, more hopped version generally made for consumption at spring festivals; doppelbock, a stronger and maltier version; and eisbock, a much stronger version made by partially freezing the beer...
, which is only produced for special occasions (Christmas and Easter). The company also produces Ottakringer Dunkles, a dark beer, Ottakringer Schnitt, a mixture of light and dark beer, Ottakringer Zwickl, an unfiltered light beer, and Ottakringer Zwickl Rot, a darker unfiltered beer.
Trivia
The Viennese have a special expression for the canned beer, 16er-Blech (16-plate), mainly for the Ottakringer Helles. The expression, 16er-Hüs'n, is also used for both the bottled and the canned beer. These are references to the origin of the beer in the 16th district of Vienna. In the beginning of 2007, the brewery took advantage of this and marketed a new kind of canned beer under the name of 16er Blech.The Gerstenboden of the brewery can also be used as an event location for up to 300 people.
The brewery has sponsored the Austrian football champions SK Rapid Wien
SK Rapid Wien
The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times...
for many years.