(Re)discover our city - Münchner Kindl

Think you know our capital well? Well, let's see about that! Some of the buildings that you walk past on a regular basis have a special story behind them. Dr Robert L. Philippart is a true expert on the subject and will take you through the city to uncover these hidden stories, giving you a new way of looking at some of our symbolic buildings.

"Münchner Kindl"

The former "Münchner Kindl" brasserie on the corner of rue Chimay/rue Notre-Dame – opposite the present-day Hotel Simoncini – was a landmark establishment in Luxembourg.

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In 1883, Henri Pulvers opened "Münchner Kindl" in the former Obsbourg House, built in the 17th century for alderman Jean Obsbourg. The establishment took its name from the famous "Münchner Kindl" beer, which had been brewed in the Bavarian capital since 1880 and for which Pulvers held a license for use. The export of this beer to Luxembourg was facilitated by the fact that the Grand Duchy was part of the customs union with Germany, as well as by the railways, which delivered barrels of beer by the wagonload. As early as 1884, Pulvers was also serving "Münchner Kindl" in bottles.

The brasserie, which served a variety of daily specials from Monday to Saturday, was frequented by German businessmen who appreciated the hearty dishes reminiscent of their country's cuisine, and the offer of Munich-based beers and Gerolstein mineral water. Press articles from the time also reveal that even 'Prussian Kellnerinnen, who make(made) the city and the country stink' were attracted to the brasserie (Indépendance luxembourgeoise, 13 October 1886). On the occasion of the death of Emperor Friederich Wilhelm Nikolaus von Preussen (1831–1888), the "Deutscher Verein" invited the German citizens of the country to a commemorative evening at "Münchner Kindl". The Silesian tradition of "Weihnachtsbaum" was also celebrated with a "Christbaummenü" in 1883. In 1884, the carnival procession even ensured the flow of 1000 litres of beer in one hour!

Henri Pulvers, who was to open the brasserie "Au Caves de Munich" in Arlon in 1886, had attracted his clientèle with the succulent dishes he would prepare on the occasion of the pig slaughter. His weekly menus offered "boeuf à la mode" served with potato salad, gras double, liver dumplings with sauerkraut, escargot and home-made tripe. Customers could subscribe to the dish of the day, either for lunch or for dinner.

A historic location

The dining room and salons of this former Obsbourg family residence were fitted out around 1770 by the owner at the time, Henri-Ambroise Hencké, a haberdasher. The house was one of the city's large residences, with a vast interior courtyard and a carriage entrance on rue Notre-Dame; the entrance door, on the rue de Chimay side, bore a monogram of two intertwined A's, and an external staircase featured a wrought-iron banister with an "L" in a medallion. The staircase was particularly feared by drunkards. The large room on the ground floor, used as a brasserie, had trumeaus with paintings by Brother Abraham Gilson, a painter from the Orval convent. Other rooms featured paintings by Millim Gilson, Abraham's brother, and Jean-Baptiste Fresez. They depicted the Hencké couple and scenes with the mythological character "Telemachus". From 1893 onwards, these magnificent rooms were illuminated with impressive electric chandeliers, each with 50 candles. The establishment and historical importance of the old house, as well as the national reputation of the establishment, explain why professor and painter Michel Engels depicted it in his picture book "Die feierliche Schlussprozession" the same year. In 1894, only the pavements surrounding the property were built. The beautiful building existed until 1963, when its owner, Minister of State Joseph Bech, sold the property to architect Paul Retter, who planned an office and residential building.

In 1896, Guillaume Zander "Grosshändler für Münchener Bier" took over the "Münchner Kindl" from Henri Pulvers. Guillaume and his sons, Joseph and Albert, represented two generations of renowned entrepreneurs in Luxembourg. In 1898, Albert Zander had taken over the "Café de l'Amérique" on avenue de la Gare. In 1910, Joseph and Albert founded "Eisfabrik Zander A." in Merl. The business was in operation until 1918. Until the 1950s, Albert Zander ran "Café Augustiner" on place de l'Etoile.

On rue Philippe II and avenue de la Gare

In 1896, lawyer Philippe Bech acquired the former Obsbourg house, which forced Guillaume Zander to move his business. He bought the house of innkeeper J.B. Wirtgen on the corner of rue Saint-Philippe (rue Philippe II) and rue de la Poste. Since 1836, this prestigious building, with its entrance gate to an inner courtyard, had housed the former "Auberge de la Boule d'Or – zur goldenen Kugel". The establishment was next to "Café de Sigisbert Jentgen" on place d'Armes. In 1917, the Zander family sold their property to furniture dealer Myrtil Bonn, who built the "Palais du Mobilier" there in 1926. In 1896, Zander had opened a branch of his establishment on the corner of avenue de la Gare and rue de Bonnevoie. For several years, Zander operated a temporary restaurant at the Schueberfouer.

In 1900 and 1901, William Zander made major investments. In 1900, on avenue de la Gare, he expanded "Gastzimmer", which enriched the railway station area "um ein Lokal mit grossstädtischem Charakter (…) was die Anziehungskraft auf die vielen hier verkehrenden Fremden gewiss nicht verfehlen wird" (Bürger-und Beamtenzeitung, 27 March 1900).

A year later, he hired the services of architect Alphonse Kemp (Municipal Baths, 1906) to transform his property on rue Philippe II. From 1902 to 1917, the large hall on the first floor was rented to the "Société Chorale les Enfants de Luxembourg". From 1917 onwards, the Association of Luxembourg Engineers held its meetings there. In 1919, a conference entitled "Das Rauchen der Jugendlichen” was held by Dr Klein, director of the Mondorf-les-Bains spa.

In 1901, the establishment on rue Philippe II was taken over by Frédéric Reifenstein, who gave it a new direction. The restaurant, which was known for its "Augustiner-Bräu" beer, specialised in French cuisine and offered a "first-class" restaurant. Customers could take out a subscription for the daily lunch menu. The restaurant provided its café customers with several French and German newspapers.

From 1910 onwards, "Münchner Kindl" at 35 avenue de la Gare was popular with notaries for the preparation and coordination of important real estate sales. Nic Grethen ran the business until he moved to Koblenz in 1921.

On place de Paris

Until 1929, the establishment was operated by café owner Henri Seiler on avenue de la Gare. The building was then converted into the "Färberei, Chem. Reinigungsanstalt und Wäscherei Schwall & Cie", which forced "Münchner Kindl" to move to place de Paris. The new premises were to house the mandolinists' club and to bring together the members of the Alsace and Lorraine veterans' society "zur Pflege des Friedensgedankens" (Luxemburger Wort, 7 May 1932). In 1938, café owner Joseph Freylinger took a stand against the rising price of beer. He organised public sales of wines from Luxembourg's Moselle valley. The establishment attracted a calm and quiet clientèle who liked to play cards: "Es sind meist Leute aller Gesellschaftsschichten, die sich in diesem erstklassigen Wein- und Bier- lokal zusammenfinden, um einige anregende Stunden im Freundeskreis zu verbringen. Vorwiegend ältere Herren huldigen dem beliebten Kartenspiel und zwar mit einer Energie und Ausdauer, die den stillen Beobachtern Achtung einflöhen müssen". (Obermoselzeitung, 20 May 1939). As of 1940, the establishment ceased to be mentioned in the press.

© Photothèque - Münchner Kindl inconnu 1959 040