STATE AND BEER Case Study of Kaunas Beer Industry in the 19th-20th centuries
Today's Perspective Today's Breweries presents itself as: oldest coolest peak best modern brewery... Laiko žodis, 1935, nr. 3
What about History? Is the oldest brewery actually is the oldest? Researchers are faced with the problems of: Date (when was establish the brewery?); Place (where the brewery took place?); Property (who was the owners of the brewery?); Brand (history of the brand);
Battles on History Even a few companies acting in Lithuania today, announces thyself as the oldest brewery in Lithuania. Gubernija (Šiauliai) 1665 Birž ų alus (Biržai) 1686 Švyturys (Klaipėda) 1784 Kauno alus (Kaunas) 1846 Volfas Engelman (Kaunas) 1853 Tauras (Vilnius) 1860
Start of industrial brewery The 19th century brought in another conception about beer and its quality, as an industrial beer brewing started. In 1774 was invented the steam engine. In 1842 in Pilsen, Bohemia (former Austro- Hungarian Empire) Josef Grol breewed first light and clear beer. It soon become etalon of industrial beer.
Beer in Kaunas in 19th century For centuries Kaunas was beter known for midus. Russian Empire, whose part in the 19th century Lithuania was, had much less developed beer industry than Western Europe. In Kaunas in 1873-1874 functioned 8
Relationships with other countries in 19th century
Focused business There were 3 breweries at Kaunas at the end of 19th century, owned by the same owners : I. B. Volfas Engelman Bliumenthal Industrial brewing essentially was developed by three families:
Maybe among them were brewers from Kaunas: European Congress of Brewers at brewery Waldschloschen (today Aldaris ), in
Three industrial breweries operated in Kaunas up to the end of the 19th century: I. B. Wolf (est. 1853) Engelmann (est. about1860) Blumenthal (est. about1866) In the rst half of the 20th century two fi more breweries started to work:
I. B. Volfas (est. 1853) Bliumenthal (est. about 1866) Ragutis (Small Horn ) (est. 1922) Engelman (est. about 1864) Kauno žemėlapis,
HISTORY OF KAUNAS BREWERIES
Brewiery I. B. VOLF
Brewiery ENGELMAN
Restored brewery during interwar
I. B. Volfas-Engelman. 1927.
Brewiery Bliumenthal 19th century
Brewiery Ragutis ( Small Horn ) former Bliumenthal in 1922
Beer and society
Suspended Business (WWI) Beer industry in Kaunas in the 19th century was a family business. Owners of factories (Volfs, Soloveichiks, Bliumenthals) because of nationality were forced to leave Kaunas Breweries were destroyed. Destroyed Engelman brewiery during WWI
Revitalization of business Lithuania proclaimed its independence (1918 02 16); Kaunas became the provisional capital of Lithuania; Ministry of Finance, Trade and Industry gave permission to renew the operation of the beer breweries. The return of owners (they returned to other state)
Who were the owners of beer busines in Kaunas? Two shareholders of Ragutis brewery were signers of Act of Independence of Lithuania in 1918. One shareholder of I. B. Volfas and Engelman was the member of Parliament of Lithuania, other was the minister (member of State Government).
Parliament and beer A newly established state badly needed as many resources as possible to maintain the state apparatus. Excise duty was among the most profitable revenue. Different consumer goods, including beer, were taxed. In the very beginning of independence the selling and consuming of beer was almost free. In 1922 the Constituent Parliament attributed beer to hard drinks and restricted its sales. The main aim was fight against alcoholism (especially against home-made vodka). From the discussions at Parliament in 1922: "If doctors recognized that beer is the only drink that has a minimum of bacteria, then to ban this last drink, it seems to me to be very inconsistent. At the same time Industrialists were not happy that the beer was treated as alcoholic beverage (they said: beer up to 5% is - alcoholfree).
The most popular beers in Lithuania in 1935
Nationalization The confusion in Kaunas beer history
How many breweries were in Kaunas in 19th-20th centyries Problem of dating: ü I. B. Volfas (1853 1927) ü Engelman (about 1864 1927) ü I. B. Volfas Engelman (1927 1940) ü Raudonoji pašvaist ė ( The Red light ) (1940 1941) ü Perkūnas ( The Thunder ) (1941 1944) ü Raudonoji pašvaist ė ( The Red light ) (1944 1959) ü Bliumental (apie 1871 1918) ü Ragutis ( The Small Horn ) (1922 1959) ükauno alaus ir bealkoholini g rim kombinatas ų ė ų (Kaunas beer and soft drinks factories complex) (1959
Big Changes Nationalization; Changes in beer market (regulation); History retreating into the shade changes of the titles: Kuntaplis, 1940 08 18 Anonymisation
I. B. Volfas-Engelman lose is title
I. B. Volfas + Engelman = I. B. Volfas-Engelman (nuo 1927 m.) = Raudonoji pašvaist ė (1940 1941 m.) = Perkūnas (1941 1944 m.) = Raudonoji pašvaist ė (1944 1959 m.)
1942 Prosperity m. of the title Ragutis 1967 m.
Bliumenthal = Ragutis (1922-1959 m.)
Raudonoji pašvaistė (Gamykla nr. 1) + Ragutis (Gamykla nr. 2) = Kauno alaus ir bealkoholini ų gėrim ų kombinatas (1959 1967 m.) = Kauno alaus kombinatas Ragutis (nuo 1967 m.) = Kauno alaus susivienijimas Ragutis (nuo 1971 1990 m.)
Forgotten history mix of the names Bliumenthal = Ragutis (1922-1959) (now Kauno alus ) I. B. Volfas + Engelman = I. B. Volfas-Engelman (from 1927) = Raudonoji pašvaist ė ( The Red Light ) (1940 1941) = Perkūnas (The Thunder ) (1941
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