Zwickau-based Mauritius Brewery files for insolvency

The Mauritius Brewery in Zwickau has filed for insolvency. The company filed a corresponding application with the Chemnitz district court on Tuesday, as the court confirmed to the German Press Agency. The Chemnitz newspaper "Freie Presse" had previously reported.

Henry Girbig, a lawyer specializing in insolvency law, was appointed as the insolvency administrator, the court announced. Reasons for the insolvency have not yet been given. The insolvency administrator's law firm and the brewery initially declined to comment. According to dpa information, a meeting is currently taking place on site to discuss the next steps.

Brewery taken over by new owners in 2018

The Zwickau-based Mauritius Brewery, which claims to be more than 160 years old, was taken over by Stuttgart-based Dinkelacker-Schwaben Bräu GmbH & Co. KG and managing partner Jörg Dierig in 2018. Dierig was previously Managing Director of Oettinger Brauerei.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, beer sales in Saxony have recently fallen more sharply than the national average. Last year, a total of around 620 million liters were sold in the Free State. This corresponds to a decline of around 6.9 percent.

In the same period, the beer market shrank by six percent nationwide - more than at any time since reunification. Steffen Dittmar, President of the Saxon Brewers' Association, spoke of a dramatic situation. Minimum wage, energy costs and bureaucracy are additional burdens for the brewing industry.