Altenauer Brauerei

Altenauer Brauerei is a German brewery based in Altenau in the Harz mountains of Lower Saxony. Its origins are tied to the town's history: when Altenau received its town privilege in 1617, it also gained the right to brew beer. Brewing was initially carried out by authorised households, and in 1622 a central communal brewery was built at the junction with the Kleine Oker. Over the following centuries the brewery operated as a municipal institution, producing beers such as Süßbier and Gose, with proceeds supporting the church and school. In 1919 the brewery passed into private ownership when master brewer Hermann Kolberg won the contract, and it was later run by the Kolberg family as Brauerei Paul Kolberg GmbH. After a bankruptcy in 2012, the Klosterkammer Hannover acquired the Altenauer brand. In 2021, following a threatened closure, a consortium led by master brewer Joachim Kilian, the Schneider family and the Creydt fruit juice company took over the business as Altenauer Brauerei GmbH. Today the brewery produces a range of beers and soft drinks, including Harzer Pilsener, Edelpils, Harzer Hüttenbier, Altenauer Maibock, alcohol-free Altenauer Freiheit, Kräuter Limmo and Beeren Limmo, sold in retail, selected gastronomy and its own farm shop. The brewery emphasises regional identity with the slogan 'ECHT. HARZ. CHARAKTER. STARK.' and sources hops from Tettnang and barley from Wöltingerode.

The history of Altenauer Brauerei is closely linked to the history of the town of Altenau. When Altenau was granted its town privilege in 1617, it also received the right to brew beer. Initially, authorised households brewed their own beer until 1622, when a central communal brewery was built at the junction with the Kleine Oker, which is also depicted in a 1650 engraving. As a municipal institution, the specially appointed master brewer was under the supervision of the town, which also determined the order of those authorised to brew. In 1672, a new brewery was built on the same site. Beers such as Süßbier and Gose were brewed and sold in local establishments, with proceeds going to the church and school. Until 1754 there were about sixty brewings per year, and from 1754 only about thirty. The organisation and administration of the brewery remained under the town's control until 1815. On 25 February 1815, several authorised brewers complained against the master brewers Löding and Fahlbusch, leading to the appointment of a brewing administrator and a brewing inspector, giving more importance to the authorised brewers. Due to unfavourable economic conditions, the continued existence of the facility was discussed for the first time in 1831. In 1853, eight representative brewers took over the protection of the interests of citizens authorised to brew, and a year later Friedrich Hoffmeister was appointed to head it. In 1870, the mining town had a total of 176 residential buildings, of which 152 were authorised to brew. Until 1904, the town itself was considered the owner of the facilities. On 18 February 1919, the town council officially declared that the brewery was now managed and owned by an administrative committee of citizens authorised to brew. Two months later, the committee announced that sale negotiations were underway. On 15 May 1919, the then master brewer Hermann Kolberg won the contract. After Hermann Kolberg's death, Paul Kolberg took over the business from his father and had the brewery well deepened to 107 metres in the 1950s. Until the end of the Second World War, the eastern Harz was an important sales area. Afterwards, sales dropped sharply due to the inner German border, so beer production was temporarily stopped until 1967 and production was limited to lemonades. In 1964, his son Hartmut Kolberg joined the brewery. In 1967, he had new storage cellars and fermentation tanks built, and in 1975 a new brewhouse with three brews with a total capacity of 3,000 litres. Kolberg led the company until 2005. From 2005 to 2012, Andreas Marx led the brewery Paul Kolberg GmbH. In 2012, the company went bankrupt. The buyer was the Klosterkammer Hannover, which manages the Wöltingerode Abbey and took over the Altenauer brand. An advertisement by the brewery caused a sensation in 2013, in which a 'modern witch' without a belly and wearing tight trousers on a broom advertised a product of the brewery; a local feminist association protested. In 2013, the brewed beer was transported by tanker truck to the Westheim brewery after the bottling plant from the 1960s could no longer be repaired. In 2014, Klosterkammer made its largest investment in the brewery, amounting to 4.9 million euros, after the construction of a new production hall including a filling, bottle and crate cleaning system. In the case of the craft beers Klosternacht and Klosterkeller presented in 2017, it turned out that the beer was supplied with wood chips instead of being stored in wooden barrels as advertised on the label. Since 2017, the Nordstadt braut brewing cooperative, which has 450 members and is based in the Nordstadt district of Hanover, has had its beer produced and bottled in Altenau. At the end of January 2021, Klosterkammer declared it wanted to close the brewery on 1 February because investments of 2 million euros were needed in the brewhouse to ensure the brewery's sustainability. The desired annual sales of 16,000 hectolitres were also not achieved. The announcement of the closure provoked opposition. The necessary renegotiations with potential buyers led to a positive outcome, so that a consortium consisting of master brewer Joachim Kilian, the Schneider family and the Creydt fruit juice company of Dassel has run the business under the name Altenauer Brauerei GmbH since April 2021. In February 2022, the owners invested in two temperature-controlled fermentation tanks, each with a capacity of 25,000 litres, as well as 12 storage tanks with a total capacity of 1,040 hectolitres. In addition, there are other technical innovations such as fully automatic systems for filling and emptying beverage crates and building renovations.

• 2022

  Investment in two 25,000-litre fermentation tanks and 12 storage tanks with a total capacity of 1,040 hectolitres.

• 2021

  Klosterkammer announces closure in January; a consortium takes over as Altenauer Brauerei GmbH in April.

• 2017

  Craft beers Klosternacht and Klosterkeller are presented; Nordstadt braut cooperative begins production in Altenau.

• 2014

  Klosterkammer invests 4.9 million euros in a new production hall with filling and cleaning systems.

• 2013

  A controversial advertisement featuring a 'modern witch' causes a sensation; beer is transported to Westheim for bottling.

• 2012

  The company goes bankrupt; Klosterkammer Hannover acquires the Altenauer brand.

• 2005

  Hartmut Kolberg ends his leadership; Andreas Marx takes over.

• 1975

  A new brewhouse with three brews and a total capacity of 3,000 litres is built.

• 1967

  Beer production resumes after temporary halt; new storage cellars and fermentation tanks built.

• 1919

  The brewery passes into private ownership; Hermann Kolberg wins the contract on 15 May.

• 1815

  Complaints from authorised brewers lead to the appointment of a brewing administrator and inspector.

• 1672

  A new brewery is built on the same site.

• 1622

  A central communal brewery is built at the junction with the Kleine Oker.

• 1617

  Altenau receives town privilege and with it the right to brew beer.

Regional Harz brewery emphasising authenticity, local ingredients and traditional brewing.

• Harzer Pilsener

  Pilsner with 5.0% ABV, brewed with Tettnang aroma hops, barley from the Oker glacial valley and Harz brewing water.

• Altenauer Edelpils

  Strongly hopped, golden premium pilsner.

• Altenauer Harzer Dunkel

  Dark beer with 5.0% ABV.

• Altenauer Maibock

  Maibock with 6.5% ABV.

• Harzer Hüttenbier

  Beer with 5.0% ABV.

• Harzer Urstoff

  Beer with 5.0% ABV.

• Altenauer Export

  Export beer with 5.0% ABV.

• Altenauer Freiheit

  Non-alcoholic beer.

• Kräuter Limmo

  Herbal lemonade combining mild sweetness with the spiciness of regional plants.

• Beeren Limmo

  Berry lemonade inspired by a Harz hike with wild strawberries and blackberries; fruity, full-bodied, not too sweet.

• Natur-Radler

  Low-alcohol mix of fine bitter pils and natural lemon juice, available year-round.

• Malzbier

  Malt beer.

• ECHT. HARZ. CHARAKTER. STARK.
• Modern witch advertisement

1. 1Altenauer Brauerei official websitealtenauer-brauerei.de
2. 2Altenauer Brauerei - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Altenauer Brauerei - Wikipedia (French)fr.wikipedia.org