Beer Riots in Bavaria

Jacobier10 · Jul 22, 2020

I don't love all of the content on GBH's site, but this was an interesting (and long) piece so I thought I'd share.

https://www.goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2020/7/13/streets-as-stages-the-munich-beer-riots-of-1844

In early May 1844, thousands of Munich’s soldiers and working-class laborers rioted for three days after the government raised the Biersatz from six to six-and-a-half kreuzer per Maß (about one liter). 33 breweries were severely damaged, as well as government buildings, local bakeries, and butchers. Munich’s unrest reverberated across time and space—sympathetic riots took place throughout Bavaria in the following weeks, and authorities labored for years to prevent further violence. These tensions even fed into Bavaria’s attempted democratic revolution of 1848.
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FrankenBier · Jul 22, 2020

And there was the Bamberg Beer War of 1907 (Something I wrote back in 2003)

Zum Mondschein played a small part in the revolutions that swept Europe in 1848 — or at least in Bamberg's part of the revolutions. It was a hangout for some of the hard core "Radical Democrats" including Nikolaus Titus and Ignatz Prell.

Zum Mondschein also has another interesting historical significance. It is today mostly remembered for its part in the famous Bamberg Beer War of 1907. It seems that almost all breweries and pubs in Bamberg tried to raise the price of a Seidla (half liter) of beer from 10 to 11 pfennigs. Well this outraged the population who boycotted the price gougers. The two places which didn't raise prices — Mondschein and Weierich — did a land office business. After a week of this, common sense prevailed and the price increase was rolled back citywide.

At that time the price increase was roughly from 2.3 cents to 2.6 cents in 1907 US dollars (the price went from 10 pfennigs to 11 pfennigs). Taking into account inflation since then that works out to an increase from 43 cents to 48.5 cents in 2003 dollars. Still a heck of a good price for a half liter of beer, and not likely to cause a riot today!
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Beer Riots in Bavaria

Jacobier10 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,102) Feb 23, 2004 New Jersey
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FrankenBier Zealot (645) Feb 4, 2003 California

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Beer Riots in Bavaria

Jacobier10 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,102) Feb 23, 2004 New Jersey Pooh-Bah

FrankenBier Zealot (645) Feb 4, 2003 California

Jacobier10 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,102) Feb 23, 2004 New Jersey
Pooh-Bah