Native name
|
Budějovický měšťanský pivovar a.s. |
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Industry | Beverages |
Founded | 1795 |
Headquarters | České Budějovice, Czech Republic |
Products | Beers and lagers |
Owner | Anheuser-Busch InBev |
Website | www |
Budweiser Bier or Budweiser Bürgerbräu was (since 1802 and as trademark officially since 1899) the name for the beer and the administration of the "Bürgerliches Brauhaus Budweis" (German for "Civic Brewhouse Budweis"), which in 1795 was founded by the German-speaking burghers of the Bohemian city of Budweis in the Kingdom of Bohemia). In 1894, the official company name was "Die Budweiser Bräuberechtigten - Bürgerliches Bräuhaus-Gegründet 1795 - Budweis".
As early as 1875, beer was being exported to the United States where Budweiser (like Pilsner) was already being copied by local brewers like Anheuser-Busch. In 1895, when Budweiser Bürgerbräu became official court supplier to the King of Württemberg, the growing Czech population founded local competition as a joint stock company, today called Budějovický Budvar. In the Budweiser trademark dispute, the three companies divided the rights to use the name, with the Europe-based companies giving up the Northern American rights to Budweiser.
Bohemia constituted part of the new Republic of Czechoslovakia founded following the breakup of the Habsburg Empire at the end of World War I in 1918. In 1945, all Germans were expelled and both breweries expropriated. The German-sounding names of the Bürgerbräu company and its products were not welcome, and all rights had to be dropped or were otherwise lost, with beer being sold as "Crystal" or "Samson". Accordingly in 1960 and 1989 the company was renamed "První budějovický pivovar Samson" (First Budweiser brewery Samson).