The Brauerei Landsberg in Saxony-Anhalt will cease production at the end of 2025, marking the end of a short but intensive 28-year brewing tradition, DieSachsen reported. “The developments of recent years and the outlook for the future unfortunately hold no positive perspective for us,” explained managing director Jenny Thormann. Production will continue until year’s end, followed by a sell-off of remaining stocks, she confirmed.
The brewery was founded in 1995 by Christoph Thormann, who had taken over the former VEB Malzfabrik Landsberg from the Treuhand in 1991 and restructured it as a GmbH. The first beer was filled in March 1997, coinciding with his daughter Jenny’s 14th birthday. From the beginning, the company relied on its own malting operations as a second pillar alongside the brewery, ensuring independence in raw material supply and creating a dual foundation for the family business. Over the years, the family also expanded by acquiring the Böhmisch Brauhaus Großröhrsdorf and the Bürgerliches Brauhaus Nordhausen.
The company, which employs around 30 people in brewing and 15 to 20 in malting, has faced mounting challenges. According to Thormann, surging energy costs, persistently rising expenses across nearly all areas, and the inability to pass these fully on to consumers left no other choice. Added to this are structural issues in the German beer market: total beer output has declined by 13.7% over the past decade, with a further 6.3% drop in the first half of 2025 alone.
The closure of Landsberg reflects a broader crisis in the industry. The number of German breweries has already shrunk by 93 in recent years, leaving 1,459 by the end of 2024. Industry leaders, such as Oettinger CEO Stefan Blaschak, have warned of a looming wave of bankruptcies that will not only affect small family breweries but also larger producers.
While overall consumption continues to decline, specialty categories such as non-alcoholic beers are still growing. Nevertheless, for Landsberg, the negative market dynamics and cost pressures proved insurmountable.
