History

The history of wheat beer is also the history of the Schneider brewing family and its famous Schneider Weisse.

Georg I. Schneider acquired the rights to boil wheat beer from King Ludwig II. in 1872. Back in those days the sales of wheat beer in the royal brewhouses were continuously declining and no one would have forecast a future worth mentioning for this noble beverage.

That's why it can rightly be claimed that it was Georg I. Schneider who saved wheat beer from "dying out". Being the wheat beer pioneer and creator of the original recipe for Schneider Weisse which still holds good today, he is revered by all wheat beer connoisseurs.

The founder ran the brewery together with his son Georg II. Schneider and in 1872 acquired the so-called Maderbräu at Tal 7, now known as Weisses Brauhaus, one of the oldest traditional breweries in Munich. The former ducal wheat beer brewhouses in Straubing and Kelheim were acquired as well in 1927.

The latter has remained the Schneider Weisse brewery to this day and is the oldest wheat beer brewery in Bavaria. Wheat beer has been brewed here without interruption since its founding in the year 1607. The Georg Schneider brewery family did however suffer a terrible stroke of fate in 1944: The Munich brewery fell victim to the bombing.

As a result the entire production was relocated to the intact brewery in Kelheim. There Georg V. Schneider continued to press ahead with the modernization and expansion of the brewery, of course always holding true to decades-old tradition. Just as does the current brewery operator, Georg VI. Schneider. Incidentally: The women in the family have always played a great role too, like Margareta Schneider, the wife of Georg V. Schneider, who lived true to the motto: "Preserve the past and create for the future."

Schneider Weisse Dynasty

Georg I. Schneider (1817-1890) 
The wheat beer pioneer

rented the Weisse Hofbräuhaus in Munich in 1855, purchased the wheat beer brewing rights from King Ludwig II in 1872, boiled beer in the Weisse Hofbräuhaus for the last time on September 17, 1872, boiled beer for the first time in the renovated Maderbräu in Munich on September 20, 1872, founded the G. Schneider & Sohn brewery together with his son (Georg II.) in July 1872. He died in 1890 along with his son.

 

Georg II. Schneider (1846-1890)
The businessman and brewer

Joint owner of the G. Schneider & Sohn brewery, foundation member of the Bavarian Brewers Association in January 1880, he died in 1890 along with his father.

 

Georg III. Schneider (1870-1905)
The building sponsor

took over the G. Schneider & Sohn brewery at the age of 20 following the death of his father and grandfather, decided on renovating the brewery in 1901, purchased the adjoining property at Tal 9 and united it with the tavern in 1904. In 1892 he submitted the crossed wheat ears trademark for trademark protection at the Munich Patent Office. This is the first ever registered trademark for wheat beer. He died already in 1905.

Mathilde Schneider (1877-1973)
The business woman

took over the brewery following the early death of her husband Georg III. Schneider, runs the business together with a general manager, brings to market in 1907 the first strong wheat beer. She died at the biblical age of 96 years.

 


 

Georg IV. Schneider (1900-1991)
The engineer

purchases the former Schramm brewery on Thalkirchner Straße in Munich in 1926 and the wheat beer brewhouse in Kelheim and the wheat beer brewhouse in Straubing in 1927, has to accept the destruction at the Thalkirchner Straße and Tal sites in 1944. He died in 1991.

 

Georg V. Schneider (*1928)
The brewery engineer with a doctorate degree

takes over the management of the privately-owned G. Schneider & Sohn wheat beer brewery in 1957, continuously extends the Kelheim brewery in accordance with the motto "He who doesn't build will soon brew no more". The complete renovation of the brewery was concluded in 1998. The fundamental values behind this remodelling were always the traditions that have been cultivated over the centuries.

 

Georg VI. Schneider (*1965)
The businessman and brewer

has been working in the brewery since 1982 and will run the family business in future.

 

Georg VII. Schneider (*1995)
The little wheat prince

"Schneider Weisse" were the first words he spoke.
THE ORIGINAL

Focus Schneider Weisse.
DOWNLOADS

Screen backrounds, slidshow and the animated brewing process
WHEAT BEER LEXICON

For experts and those who want to become one.
THE WEISSES BRAUHAUS

Experience authentic Bavarian hospitality.
ENJOYING SCHNEIDER WEISSE

How to take good care of the beer