Brauerei Fiedler
A family-owned private brewery in Oberscheibe in the Saxon Erzgebirge, brewing Erzgebirgsbier under the German purity law since 1846.
Last updated September 28, 2026
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Overview
Brauerei Fiedler — formally Privatbrauerei Fiedler GmbH — is a small, family-owned brewery in Oberscheibe, part of Scheibenberg in the Saxon Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany. It markets its beers as Erzgebirgsbier, a regional specialty, and brews according to the German Reinheitsgebot, using only water, malt and hops. The brewery traces its roots to the brewing right of the Oberscheibe Erbgericht (hereditary court), documented as early as 1537, and the present brewing site was rebuilt around 1813. The Fiedler family acquired the estate and brewery on 9 March 1846, when Carl Heinrich Fiedler of Oberwiesenthal bought the Erbgericht and the brewery; the business has remained in family hands ever since. The brewery passed through generations of Fiedlers: Emil Richard Fiedler took over at the end of the 19th century, introduced bottled beer production and renamed the operation Brauerei Emil Fiedler; Louis Emil Fiedler took over in 1920 and continued it as Brauerei Fiedler. After being shut down during the Second World War, it was reopened in 1954 by Karl Fiedler, son of Emil Louis Fiedler. Under the German Democratic Republic the brewery grew from about 2,781 hectoliters a year in 1966 to 9,500 hectoliters by 1989, and also produced non-alcoholic beverages until 1985. After the political changes of 1989/90, production fell to about 2,500 hectoliters under competitive pressure; Karl Fiedler sold the brewery to his nephew Christian Fiedler, who modernized it extensively in 1990 and 1991 and restarted it in 1991. Christian's son Thomas became brewmaster in 1999. Today the brewery produces a range of beers and beer mixes, including Fiedler Pilsener, Orgelpfeifenbräu, Magisterbräu Schwarzbier, Export, Dampflokbier, Bock Dunkel, Abrahamsbock, Radler, Kupfer and Weißbier, plus a red Fassbrause and Felsquellwasser bottled from its own deep well at the foot of the Scheibenberg. It has invested steadily in modern equipment — new bottling lines, malt silos, cylindroconical tanks, an automated brewhouse and cleaning systems — and its output rose to around 18,000 hectoliters by the late 2010s. In August 2023 the company changed its legal form to a GmbH and was passed to Thomas and Sandra Fiedler, with Thomas Fiedler as managing director. The brewery is a member of Brauring, a cooperative society of private breweries from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and its beers have won awards including European Beer Star medals for Magisterbräu Schwarzbier and a Meiningers Craft Beer Award gold for its Pilsener.
History
The brewing right of the Erbgericht (hereditary court) of Oberscheibe is documented as early as 1537, when a settlement between the five Erbrichter and Kretzschmar of the villages Crottendorf, Großpöhla, Mittweida and Oberscheibe on the one hand and the two towns Elterlein and Scheibenberg on the other regulated brewing and tavern rights. It was agreed that brewing could begin one week before Michaelmas and had to end by Easter, and that the villages had to follow the two towns' rules. A further settlement in 1556 regulated that, when the villages lacked their own beer, they could only obtain beer from towns of the Schönburg county of Hartenstein. Brewing equipment and brewing rights are explicitly named in a purchase contract of 1623. In 1777 Gotthelf Friedrich Oesfeld wrote that good beer was brewed at the Oberscheibe Erbgericht. The brewing building was newly erected at its present site around 1813. Carl Gottlob Drechsler from Scheibenberg is recorded as brewmaster in 1817. On 9 March 1846 Carl Heinrich Fiedler from Oberwiesenthal acquired the Erbgericht and the brewery, which has remained in family ownership ever since. At the end of the 19th century Emil Richard Fiedler took over the brewery, introduced bottled beer production and renamed it Brauerei Emil Fiedler. In 1920 Louis Emil Fiedler took over and continued it as Brauerei Fiedler. After being shut down during the Second World War, the brewery was reopened in 1954 by Karl Fiedler, son of Emil Louis Fiedler, following numerous modernization measures. In 1966 annual beer output reached 2,781 hectoliters. The construction of the Markersbach pumped-storage power station raised production to 7,000 hectoliters. Until 1985 the brewery also produced non-alcoholic beverages (about 1,200 hectoliters in 1977, for example). Annual production rose to 9,500 hectoliters by 1989. With the political changes of 1989/90, production fell to 2,500 hectoliters under competitive pressure. After the political changes of 1989/90, Karl Fiedler sold the brewery to his nephew Christian Fiedler, who extensively modernized it in 1990 and 1991 and restarted it in 1991. In 1999 Christian's son Thomas became brewmaster. From 2003 to 2005 about one million euros were invested in new bottle filling. Since June 2010 the new 0.5-liter long-neck bottle has been filled. In 2011 about 400,000 euros were invested in new malt silos and two new cylindroconical tanks of 190 hectoliters each. In 2011 the brewery produced and sold about 15,500 hectoliters of beer with 17 employees. In 2015 two further cylindroconical tanks of 190 hectoliters each were built, and in 2017 two more of 255 hectoliters each. The old lauter tun was also replaced and automated in 2017, and robot palletizing was installed. Sales rose to 18,000 hectoliters. In 2019 the brewhouse was completely modernized and automated. A new cleaning system was installed in 2020 and automated in 2021. In August 2023 the company changed its legal form to a GmbH and was passed to Thomas and Sandra Fiedler; Thomas Fiedler is managing director.
- 2023
Company changed to a GmbH in August and passed to Thomas and Sandra Fiedler; Thomas Fiedler is managing director.
- 2021
Cleaning system automated; Meiningers Craft Beer Award gold for the Pilsener in the Pilsener category.
- 2020
New cleaning system installed; European Beer Star bronze for Magisterbräu Schwarzbier.
- 2019
Brewhouse completely modernized and automated.
- 2017
Two more tanks of 255 hectoliters each; old lauter tun replaced and automated; robot palletizing installed; sales rise to 18,000 hectoliters.
- 2015
Two further cylindroconical tanks of 190 hectoliters each built.
- 2011
About 400,000 euros invested in new malt silos and two cylindroconical tanks; about 15,500 hectoliters produced with 17 employees.
- 2010
New 0.5-liter long-neck bottle filled since June.
- 2009
European Beer Star silver for Magisterbräu Schwarzbier in the German Style Schwarzbier category.
- 2003
Investment of about one million euros in new bottle filling begins (until 2005).
Products and positioning
Regional family brewery in the Saxon Erzgebirge, brewing Erzgebirgsbier according to the German purity law and selling mainly in the surrounding region.
Fiedler Pilsener
A pilsener; won Meiningers Craft Beer Award gold in 2021.
Fiedler Orgelpfeifenbräu
A beer in the range.
Fiedler Magisterbräu Schwarzbier
A black beer; won European Beer Star silver in 2009 and bronze in 2020.
Fiedler Export
An export-style beer.
Fiedler Dampflokbier
A beer in the range.
Fiedler Bock Dunkel
A dark bock beer.
Fiedler Abrahamsbock
A bock beer.
Fiedler Radler
A beer mix (radler).
Fiedler Kupfer
A beer in the range, described by customers as a seasonal favorite.
Fiedler Weißbier
A wheat beer.
Rote Fassbrause
A red barrel soda also bottled by the brewery.
Felsquellwasser
Mineral water from the brewery's own deep well at the foot of the Scheibenberg.
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