Braucommune in Freistadt (Freistädter Brauhaus brewpub)

Fresh beer with a long history

Braucommune 1770
On 31 December 1770, the contract to purchase a plot of land outside the town, the so-called “Stadtschreibergärten”, was finally signed between the municipality and the citizens of Freistadt. This laid the foundation for the construction of a new brewery, which was built between 1770 and 1780. To protect their interests, the owners of the 149 houses in Freistadt’s town centre who held brewing rights joined together to form the “Braucommune in Freistadt” community association.

The shares held by the investors in the brewery were calculated in buckets (a bucket being an old measure of beer, equivalent to around 56 litres), with its total share capital (6,390 buckets) being divided unequally among the brewery’s 149 shareholders. As a result, the land register guarantees each house at least 15 buckets with the option to purchase additional shares up to a maximum of 140 buckets.

Europe’s only brewing community
The rights and obligations assumed by the “Freistädter Braucommunisten” (members of the Freistadt brewing community) back in 1770 remain unchanged to this day and are still valid. The “Commune” as a legal form for a company is entered as such in the commercial register even now and is believed to be the last of its kind in Europe.

The Braucommune today
The Braucommune in Freistadt is one of 22 commercial breweries in Upper Austria and the largest brewery in the Mühlviertel region. Each year, it produces around 60,000 hl of Freistädter beer, around 20,000 hl of Freistädter lemonade and around 15,000 hl of commercial goods.

Why not visit our beer shop, too?
Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 12 noon

Everything our fans could want – from clothing to specialities from the region, branded merchandise and doormats! Our beer shop in Freistadt offers a huge selection of tasty treats and gifts from the home of beer, perfect for fans of Freistädter beer and budding devotees.