Weihenstephan, located in Freising, Bavaria, is recognized as the world’s oldest continuously operating brewery, officially licensed to brew beer in 1040. Its origins trace back to 724, when Saint Corbinian and twelve companions established a Benedictine monastery on Nährberg Hill, where brewing soon became part of monastic life. Although the monastery endured multiple destructions from wars, fires, famine, and disease between the 11th and 15th centuries, the Benedictine monks continually rebuilt it, preserving their brewing traditions that evolved over the centuries.
Following the secularization of Bavaria in 1803, the brewery became state-owned, and today it operates as the Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan (Bavarian State Brewery). It collaborates closely with the Technical University of Munich’s Weihenstephan campus, making it not only a historic landmark but also a hub of modern brewing science. The brewery is famed for its adherence to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 and for producing a range of highly regarded beers, including Hefeweissbier, Vitus Weizenbock, and Korbinian Doppelbock.
Blending nearly a thousand years of brewing heritage with cutting-edge research, Weihenstephan remains a symbol of Bavarian craftsmanship and innovation in brewing traditions worldwide.
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