Aktienbrauerei Kaufbeuren is a brewery in the town of Kaufbeuren, Germany. It is the oldest brewery in Swabia, mentioned in official records from the year 1308.[2] It is a joint stock company with shares traded on the Munich stock exchange.[3]
History
A document from 1308 records that Heinrich der Twinger – a Kaufbeuren citizen – bequeathed all his property to the town's Holy Ghost Hospice including his brewhouse. This formed the basis of what became the Aktien brewery in Kaufbeuren. The name changed over the centuries as it bought up other producers, with its current name dating back to 1920. Aktienbrauerei means literally "share brewery", meaning that it is owned by its shareholders.
The Kaufbeuren Brewers Guild was formed in 1325 making a declaration that all beers produced in the town could only use barley, hops, and pure water.[4] All other ingredients were banned. This pre-dated the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot (Purity Order) of 1516 by almost 200 years.