Žatec wants to help revive the Dreher Brewery

Žatec - The town of Žatec wants to contribute to the revitalization and reconstruction of the former Dreher Brewery complex. The extensive area of the cultural monument is currently in the hands of private owners and requires hundreds of millions in investments. Nevertheless, it is part of Žatec's nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage List as a city of hops and beer. In the future, beer production could be restored there, but the area could also serve for business, tourism, or conference purposes. Some of it could even be used by the National Agricultural Museum, the mayor of Žatec, Zdeňka Hamousová (Choice for the City), told reporters today.

"The town should play the role of a mediator and initiator to try to find one investor who would take over the entire area. Including the Dreher Brewery and the surrounding area and the land that belongs to it. There are three owners here, one of whom is a dominant company. We are in negotiations with this company at certain intervals, and they are not opposed to someone acquiring the Dreher Brewery and the surrounding area," said Hamousová.

The land adjacent to the brewery could be prepared for residential development. From this, a potential investor could obtain initial funds for the renovation of the brewery buildings. At the same time, the town will try to secure money from available grant titles, such as for the revitalization of brownfields or from the Restart program for the Ústí, Karlovy Vary, and Moravian-Silesian regions.

The brewery on Chomutovská Street near the railway station began construction in 1898. "Such an extensive and well-preserved area is not found anywhere else in the world. It was one of the most modern export breweries in Austria-Hungary," added the mayor. The brewery had two malt houses, a brewhouse with a water tower, a boiler room, and a machine room, as well as lager cellars with a refrigerator and bottling facility. The complex also included an administrative building and other agricultural accessories. The brewery itself is a Neo-Renaissance building with a facade of red bricks and has been a cultural monument since 2015.