The profound expert and the most important scientist for brewing and beverage technology of our time, Prof. Ludwig Narziss, passed away yesterday at the age of 97.
Born on September 30, 1925 in Munich as the son of a brewery director, he studied brewing science at the Technical University of Munich in Weihenstephan. He then worked for several years as a research assistant and management consultant for the Bavarian State Trade Institute in Nuremberg and the State Testing Institute for Breweries in Weihenstephan.
In 1956 he received his doctorate on the influence of yeast on the properties of beer. From 1958 to 1964 he was the master brewer at Löwenbräu AG in Munich, one of the most important breweries in Germany at the time.
In 1964 he was awarded the chair for brewery technology I at the Technical University of Munich-Weihenstephan and became head of the Bavarian teaching and experimental brewery, positions he held for the next 28 years until his retirement in 1992. During this time he trained generations of brewing scientists who, as leading specialists all over the world, have had a significant impact on the world of beer until today. But he was also the leading researcher in the field of brewing and malt science and published many scientific studies and books that are still considered standard works in brewing science literature today.
He published the books An Outline of Beer Brewing (Abriss der Bierbrauerei) in 1972, Technology of Malt Preparation (Die Technologie der Malzbereitung) in 1976, and Technology of Wort Preparation (Die Technologie der Würzebereitung) in 1985 which have gone through many revisions and editions since then.
Thanks to his achievements in science and practice, he enjoyed worldwide recognition. The "Ludwig Narziss Prize for Brewing Science" was created and named after him. His honors are correspondingly diverse, including an honorary doctorate from the Technical University of Munich, Federal Cross of Merit with ribbon, Bavarian Order of Merit (inside.beer, 21.7.2019), Bavarian Beer Order, honorary member of the GermanBrewing and Malting Master Association (DBMB), German Brewing Barley Association (Braugerstengemeinschaft), Association of Former Weihenstephaners (VEW), Landsmannschaft Bavaria and Old Weihenstephan Brewers' Association (AWB), just to name a few.
In addition to all his technical and scientific merits, Prof. Narzisss was also an outstanding human personality, which earned him the admiring name "Beer Pope" among all who had the privilege to know him.
