Technical and scientific progress as the basis for the development of the brewing industry in Benešov and Konopiště during the second half of the19th century
Abstract
This paper describes the transformation of the brewing industry in the town of Benešov and at Konopiště castle during the second half of the 19th century in the wider context of the transformation of the Czech brewing industry. This period saw the culmination of a long process of development which had begun at least as far back as the 15th century, when a relationship began to be cemented between the liege town of Benešov and the nobility in the nearby Konopiště castle - a relationship which also involved brewing rights.
The profound transformation of the brewing industry in the 19th century (part of a wider transformation of food production and processing in general)naturally brought changes to Benešov and Konopiště too; the example of the local brewing industry clearly demonstrates the key role played by technical and scientific progress as a basis for this political and economic transformation. This process culminated at the end of the 19th century with the establishment of a brewery in Benešov owned by the nobility; at the time of construction this brewery ranked among the most modern businesses in the town, and it played a significant role in local life, above all by generating electricity at its own power plant.