To beer or not to beer, or Shakesbeer in Piotrków Trybunalski
And this is all thanks to our translation of a book entitled 'Piotrków Beer from the second half of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century' into the language of William Shakespeare. The book was published in 2022 on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the founding of the brewing guild in Piotrków Trybunalski.
The book's publication was sponsored by Mariusz Supady, owner of the Piotrków Brewery, which has been the heir to the region's brewing traditions, nurturing them for more than 97 years.
The publication is the culmination of many years of research into Piotrków brewing conducted by its author, historian and doctor of humanities Marcin Łukasz Majewski, a research worker at the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences in Kraków. His research focuses on ethnicity, the history of Polish Armenians, the history of cities in the Old Polish era, with particular emphasis on socio-economic issues and the everyday life of the bourgeoisie, and the history of brewing in the early modern era.
Using numerous period sources, the book discusses the origins of the Piotrków brewing industry, the 'golden age' of its history in the second half of the 16th century, the crisis in the following century and the relative stability achieved in the 18th century.
It is worth noting that the period from the second half of the 15th to the beginning of the 17th century was the best time in the history of European brewing. It was characterised by a dynamic growth in production, increased consumption and a diversification of the quality of beer produced. These phenomena did not omit the Republic of Poland either, which was at that time an important place on the beer map of Europe, famous for its production of excellent wheat beers. In many Polish cities, brewing became an important branch of the economy. Beers of renowned reputation were brewed not only in large centres, but also in small and medium-sized Polish towns. One of these was Piotrków, the venue of the Sejm and the Crown Tribunal. Beer brewed in the city was a recognisable brand exported to other Crown cities and worthy of the royal table.
It is therefore difficult to be indifferent to these facts. They deserve to be publicised, being a curiosity not only for the inhabitants of Piotrków Trybunalski and the surrounding area, but also for lovers of good beer and interesting stories related to its brewing, traditions and the brewing industry.
You can find out more about the book here:
