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15-04-2010, 08:13
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It's funny the things you stumble across. Yesterday (for reasons I'm not going to explain here) I was searching for "Anton Dreher" in Google books. It threw up some fascinating material.

An overview of the Viennese brewing industry in the 1890's was one. It highlighted a point often misunderstood. That the brewery which transformed the industry in Austria-Hungary wasn't Burgerbräu in Pilsen, but Dreher's brewery in Klein Schwechat on the outskirts of Vienna.

In a report on the World Exhibition I found this lovely table of beer tax receipts in various countries. Take a look:



Receipts form Beer Tax in 1867
country in Austrian guilders in original currency currency unit
UK

58,781,305

5,309,112

pounds Sterling

Austria

16,098,918

16,098,918

Austrian guilders

France

6,400,000

16,000,000

Francs

Belgium

5,822,035

14,535,000

Francs

Bavaria

2,620,450

8,500,000

southern guilders

Prussia

7,310,000

1,746,967

Thalers

Saxony

375,000

150,000

Thalers

USA

3,045,000

1,600,000

US dollars

Württemberg

1,290,000

1,500,000

southern guilders

Hannover

66,000

44,000

Thalers

Holland

433,500

510,000

Dutch guilders

Source:
“Bericht über der Welt_Ausstellung zu Paris im Jahre 1867, volume 7”, 1868, page 112.

That was educational. At least for me. I'd never realised that Württemberg and Bavaria used the same currency before unification. Or that a dollar was worth almost two Austrian guilders. Information that will be dead handy when I finally get my time machine fired up.

Unsurprisingly, it was Britain that generated the most tax income from beer. It had the biggest and most modern brewing industry in the world. And a large, relatively well-off, population of thirsty workers.

Bavaria, Prussia, Saxony, Württemberg and Hannover. That's five Germanies I've covered today. I'm really maintaining my theme this month. Hurray fior me.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5445569787371915337-3053430381198045532?l=barclayperkins.blogspot.com


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