Spang, Paul. "Das Bier und die Brauereien in Luxemburg Geschichte," in Hemecht 31 December 1982, page 93; image 95. Link to article: eluxemburgensia.lu/
Even if you look through the numerous ordinances of the 18th century, you will come across information about beer and breweries. For example, it says: B. in an order dated April 23, 1709: "Etant requis dans this conjoncture que les grains sont rares, de pourvoir à ce que le publique ne manque de subsistance nécessaire; et comme il se consume une grande quantité des grains par les bières qui se brassent journalièrement, dont en partie le publique pourait plus commodément se passer que du pain; à quoi étant nécessaire de remédier: Nous deffendons à tous et un chacun, sans aucune distinction, de plus brasser de Biere à l'avenir, à peine de confiscation de ladite Biere et de cent florins Carolus d'amende à pourfaire pour le brasseur, un tiers au profit du Denonciateur, un other au profit du Roy et l'other tiers au profit des Pauvres”.
Translation:
“Being required in this situation that grain is scarce, to provide that the public does not lack necessary subsistence; and as a large quantity of grain is consumed by the beers that are brewed daily, some of which the public could more conveniently do without than bread; which being necessary to remedy: We forbid everyone, without distinction, to brew more beer in the future, under penalty of confiscation of the said beer and a fine of one hundred Carolus florins to be paid by the brewer, one third for the benefit of the Denouncer, another for the benefit of the King and the other third for the benefit of the Poor.”
In the mid-15th century, according to N. van Werveke's calculations – when the city of Luxembourg had approximately 4,000 inhabitants, 75.4 liters of wine per capita were consumed annually in pubs. He didn't account for beer consumption, and it's hardly possible to do so. In the fortress of Luxembourg, good drinking water was always a problem, and it has been claimed that it was more expensive than wine and beer. Therefore, we find the first brewers where there was good water, i.e., in the city grounds, where brewing in the city of Luxembourg probably began. In 1356, we find "Goebel the Brewer" on Ulrichstrasse. In the city grounds, there were also cellars dug into the rock where beer could be stored. The first brewers were also wine merchants, so they were able to quickly adapt to offer the population a good, healthy, and affordable drink. One must not forget that the fortress garrison was also thirsty, so sales never faltered.
The brewer's tool was quite primitive. It consisted primarily of the brewing pan, a deep copper pan for roasting the mash, which was used to produce top-fermented beer. Brewing was a domestic affair; the brewer traveled from house to house with the brewing pan and other equipment to carry out his trade. The taxes he had to pay were precisely defined; for example, in 1764, the excise duties on beer were re-established, as were those on the so-called "hydromel," an alcoholic beverage made with honey.
So-called breweries were also maintained in castles and palaces. In this context, the income and expenditure registers of the abbeys and monasteries should also be examined carefully. For example, in the books of the Willibrord Abbey in Echternach, one can read about two types of beer: one was brewed from barley for the monks, a second type made from speltz was intended for the servants. Information about drinks distributed to pilgrims on Whitsun can also be found.
In terms of craftsmanship, the brewers belonged to the guild of day laborers. For centuries, they did not own their own brewery; they traveled from house to house with their brewing pots, practicing their craft on commission. One could determine how much land they owned by looking at the records of the Theresian Cadastre. In Echternach, there is only one brewer who owned two acres of land. In this context, the notary deeds should also be examined. In a notarial deed (notary Brosius, Luxembourg) dated July 14, 1767, Maria-Catherina Post, the widow of the brewer Martin Limpach, leased her brewery on the town's land to the brewer Jean Linden for three years, along with all the brewing equipment, a kitchen, five rooms, the cellar, and the granary. The tenant undertakes to maintain the tools in good condition. In addition to a rent of 18 thalers, he is obligated to leave a certain portion of the brewed beer to the widow.
Most brewers worked to order; the grain, hops, and wood had to be provided by the customer. They were paid for their labor and the rental of their tools. Anyone who had a brewery in their home could produce 18 hectoliters without paying tax; the beer had to be drunk by the family and servants. These home breweries continued the tradition of medieval breweries. They eventually disappeared altogether when brewing in Luxembourg became industrialized.
A fairly good overview of brewing in Luxembourg between 1839 and 1889 can be found in a report from the Chamber of Commerce dated December 31, 1889. This was during the period of industrialization of brewing in Luxembourg.
In 1839, the following breweries existed in the city of Luxembourg: Henri Funck, father, in the Stadtgrund; Nicolas Funck, son,
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