Pivovar Eggenberg

Lore & Background

Brewing in Český Krumlov dates back to 1336. The House of Rosenberg acquired a brewery in the town in 1522 and relocated it to its current location from 1625 to 1630. After the death of the male inheritors of the House of Rosenberg in 1611, the dominion was given to the House of Eggenberg in 1622, and in 1628 Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg was named Duke of Krumau by Ferdinand II.

The House of Eggenberg held the dominion until 1717, when the last male heir died at age 13, after which the dominion and the Eggenberg Bohemian possessions passed to the House of Schwarzenberg. The Schwarzenbergs began modernizing the brewery in 1719 and decorated it in the Baroque style. Equipment and machinery were kept up to date, and production volumes increased dramatically, reaching almost 35,000 hl at the end of the 19th century. Hops from the Postoloprty estate were used from the late 18th century onwards.

In 1940, the brewery was seized by Nazi Germany, as were all Adolph Schwarzenberg's other properties within the reach of the Third Reich. After World War II, the Nazi expropriation was perpetuated by the government of Czechoslovakia under Edvard Beneš, which declared national administration and then tried to confiscate the properties under the Beneš decrees. This proved impossible due to the owner's anti-fascist credentials and Czechoslovak citizenship.

In 1947, law 143/1947, known as 'Lex Schwarzenberg', was promulgated, directed exclusively at Adolph Schwarzenberg, depriving him of his property rights without justification, explanation or compensation. The application of this law remains disputable, as it contravenes the Czechoslovak Constitution of 1920 and an appeal against the previous confiscation was pending. In September 1991, the brewery was sold in an auction to Jiří Shrbený and František Mrázek for CSK 75 million. Mrázek was murdered in 2006 under unclear circumstances.

On 16 May 2008, judge Josef Šimek declared bankruptcy of Pivovar Eggenberg, and five days later judge Bohuslav Petr appointed bankruptcy administrator Štěpán Bláha. In 2014 the brewery was closed down, and beers under the Eggenberg brand have been brewed in Pardubice Brewery since then. In 2016, a new craft brewery, Historický pivovar Krumlov, was founded at the site of the old brewery, and the rest of the complex is being reconstructed into a museum of brewing and a hotel.

Reader's Guide

Pivovar Eggenberg's significance lies in its deep historical roots and the unusual legal circumstances surrounding its ownership. The brewery operated continuously for centuries under three noble houses—Rosenberg, Eggenberg, and Schwarzenberg—each contributing to its development. The Schwarzenbergs modernized the facility in the Baroque style and increased production substantially, using hops from their own estate. The brewery's confiscation by Nazi Germany in 1940 and the subsequent Czechoslovak government's attempt to permanently seize it through the ad hominem 'Lex Schwarzenberg' in 1947 mark a notable intersection of brewing history with 20th-century political upheaval.

The law's constitutionality remains disputed. After privatization in 1991, the brewery faced financial difficulties, bankruptcy in 2008, and closure in 2014. Its legacy continues through the Eggenberg brand, now brewed elsewhere, and the establishment of a new craft brewery and museum on the original site, preserving the physical and cultural heritage of the location.