Pivovar Eggenberg
Encyclopedia
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
in Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, best known for the fine architecture and art of the historic old town and Český Krumlov Castle...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
Brewing in Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, best known for the fine architecture and art of the historic old town and Český Krumlov Castle...
dates back to 1336. The House of Rosenberg
House of Rosenberg
The Rosenberg family was the most significant and influential Bohemian noble family playing important role in Czech medieval history from 13th century till 1611...
acquired a brewery in the town in 1522 and relocated it to its current location from 1625–30. After the death of the male inheritors of the House of Rosenberg (1611), in 1622 the dominion was given to the House of Eggenberg
House of Eggenberg
Eggenberg is the name of an Austrian noble family from Styria whose last male heir died in 1717 bringing an end to the House of Eggenberg.- History :The origin of the Austrian noble house of Eggenberg is shrouded in darkness...
and in 1628 Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg
Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg
Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg was an Austrian statesman, a son of Seyfried von Eggenberg and great-grandson of Balthasar Eggenberger of the House of Eggenberg.- Biography :...
was named Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
of Krumau by Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
. Thus the House of Eggenberg acquired the lucrative dominion including possession of Český Krumlov Castle
Český Krumlov Castle
Český Krumlov Castle is located in the city Český Krumlov. It dates back to 1240 when the first castle was built by the Witigonen family, the main branch of the powerful Rosenberg family. By the 17th century the Rosenbergs had died out and the dominion of Krumau was given to Hans Ulrich von...
and the brewery. The Eggenberg's held the dominion in their possession until 1717 when the last male heir to the House of Eggenberg died at only 13, after which the dominion and the Eggenberg Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n possessions passed to the House of Schwarzenberg
House of Schwarzenberg
-History:The family was first mentioned in 1172. A branch of the Seinsheim family was created when Erkinger I of Seinsheim acquired the Franconian barony of Schwarzenberg, the castle Schwarzenberg and the title Baron of Schwarzenberg, in 1405–21. At this time, they also possessed some fiefdoms in...
which began modernizing the brewery in 1719 and decorated it in the Baroque style
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
.
The brewery's equipment and machinery were kept up to date during the Schwarzenbergs' ownership. Production volumes increased dramatically during this period, reaching almost 35.000hl at the end of the 19th century. Hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
from their Postoloprty
Postoloprty
Postoloprty is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic, situated about 7 km west of Louny. It has around 5,000 inhabitants....
estate were used from the late 18th century onwards. http://www.encyklopedie.ckrumlov.cz/docs/en/mesto_histor_pivova.xml
Confiscation of the brewery
In 1940, the brewery was seized by Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, as were all Adolph Schwarzenberg
Adolph Schwarzenberg
Adolph Schwarzenberg was a notable landowner, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was the eldest son of Johann and Therese Schwarzenberg, née Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg...
's other properties within the reach of the Third Reich.
Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Nazi expropriation was perpetuated by the government of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
under Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš was a leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the second President of Czechoslovakia. He was known to be a skilled diplomat.- Youth :...
. It first declared national administration of Schwarzenberg's Czech properties and then tried to confiscate them under the so called Beneš decrees
Beneš decrees
Decrees of the President of the Republic , more commonly known as the Beneš decrees, were a series of laws that were drafted by the Czechoslovak Government-in-Exile in the absence of the Czechoslovak parliament during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II and issued by President...
. This, however, proved impossible due to the owner's impeccable anti-fascist credentials and Czechoslovak citizenship. In order to prevent the return of the properties, law 143/1947, also known as "Lex Schwarzenberg", was promulgated in 1947. This law is a unique case of ad hominem legislation. It is directed exclusively at Adolph Schwarzenberg (the two persons additionally named in this law were dead at the time and he was their legal successor), and deprives him of his property rights without justification, explanation or compensation.
The application of law 143/1947 remains disputable, because it contravenes the Czechoslovak Constitution of 1920, which was in force at the time of promulgation. Furthermore, an appeal against the previous confiscation under presidential decrees was pending, rendering any additional act null and void.
Privatisation
In September 1991, the brewery was sold in an auction to infamous entrepreneurs Jiří Shrbený and František MrázekFrantišek Mrázek
František Mrázek was a controversial Czech entrepreneur, often referred to as the "Godfather of Czech Organized Crime". Mrázek covertly influenced the Czech politics for almost twenty years. In 2006 he was assassinated by a sniper...
for CSK
Czechoslovak koruna
The Czechoslovak koruna was the currency of Czechoslovakia from April 10, 1919 to March 14, 1939 and from November 1, 1945 to February 7, 1993...
75 million. Mr Mrazek was shot dead in 2006 under unclear circumstances. The property was incorporated in their companies Dionex and Eggenberg, which are linked to a number of controversial figures.