Is it just me or does Einsiedel conjure up images of monks? Einsiedel is a charming part of Chemnitz with a story all its own. This tiny place at the foot of the Ore Mountains became part of Chemnitz in 1996. Yet, its history goes back much further.
Now, prepare to be transported back to 1885. Emil Schwalbe, a machinery industrialist from Chemnitz, had a brilliant idea. He decided to establish a brewery in Einsiedel. Einsiedel Brauhaus was born. He bought local farms that had excellent well water. On that very location, he began building his brewery.
The original brewhouse had a capacity of 300 hl. It could produce 1200 hl daily. The brewhouse was made up of a mash tun, a mash pan, a lauter tun, and a wort kettle. This brewhouse faced destruction during World War II. It was rebuilt in its original style. Today, Einsiedel still brews in that same brewhouse.
Before World War I, supplying customers was hard for the Einsiedel brewery. Despite these challenges, the brewery reached a peak of 70000 hl per year. Beer was traditionally delivered in kegs. Retailers had small bottle-filling equipment. They filled flip-top bottles and sold them locally.
At the start of the 20th century, Einsiedel owned 33 horses and 12 oxen. In 1912, the first trucks arrived. The hilly area limited the fleet’s capabilities. During World War I, many workers joined the army. Raw material supplies became a problem. After the war, production was half of what it was before World War I.
The Einsiedel brewery recovered in the mid-1920s. In 1929, 109 coworkers produced 86500 hl of beer. Sales dropped after the global economic recession in 1932. In 1937, only 37000 hl of beer were sold.
Air strikes severely damaged the Einsiedel brewery in 1945. Finding raw materials was difficult. Annual production fell to 24000 hl. The government took over the brewery. It was partly expropriated shortly after. In 1972, it became part of the VEB Drink Collective Combine Karl-Marx-Stadt.
Production reached 100000 hl again by 1959. In 1972, the government ordered the Einsiedel brewery to only produce bottled beer. The keg filler was dismantled. From the 1970s, the brewery regularly produced 200000 hl of beer per year. Production climbed to 300000 hl per year in the 1980s.
In April 1990, after the fall of East Germany, the brewery was returned to private ownership. The daughter of the last owner manages the business. Since the summer of 1990, beer has been brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot.
Almost all of the machinery was old. It did not meet modern technological needs. The brewhouse was from 1907. The fermentation tanks were from the same time. The keg filler was gone.
A new fully automatic brewhouse replaced the old one. During induction brewing, the brewery can produce eight brews of 330 hl each per day. New fermentation tanks were bought. The first nine tanks had a capacity of 1200 hl each. More were added later. In 1991, a new keg filler was bought.
Today, Einsiedel continues its brewing legacy. It balances tradition with modern techniques. Einsiedel is more than just a place. It is a testament to resilience and the enduring spirit of brewing.