economy

January 19, 2026

World’s oldest monastic brewery to be sold as German beer sales slide

Brewing tradition of nearly 1,000 years at Weltenburg Abbey in Bavaria to be bought up by Munich company Schneider Weisse

World’s oldest monastic brewery to be sold as German beer sales slide

TL;DR

  • Weltenburger, the world's oldest monastic brewery, is being sold to Schneider Weisse.
  • The sale is driven by declining beer sales and financial losses, with Weltenburger operating in the red.
  • The deal aims to preserve the brewing tradition and at least some jobs in the region.
  • Bischofshof brewery, also part of the sale, will cease production at the end of the year.
  • Weltenburger, a popular tourist attraction, has a history of surviving numerous historical challenges.
  • German beer sales have been in a downward slide for years, with a significant decline in 2025.
  • Innovation in German beer is challenged by the Reinheitsgebot (purity law), while non-alcoholic brews gain popularity.
  • Germany still has the largest number of monastic breweries.

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