Browar Mieszczański, Wrocław

Browar Mieszczański is a former brewery whose halls now serve as a cultural centre. Robert Hain established the works in 1894 to supply beer to his tavern, giving it the tavern’s name. In 1907, an association of local innkeepers bought and enlarged the brewery because industrial producers were putting pressure on their businesses.

Its brewing history took an unusual turn after the war: beer production stopped for a period, and the plant made lactic acid instead. Brewing returned in 1965, with the brewery specialising in pale full and light lagers. Production ended permanently in 1996.

The abandoned complex later gained a new purpose, with exhibitions, cultural events, a theatre, galleries and artists’ studios. Today, this former industrial site holds about 12,800 square metres of cultural space, making its working past part of an active creative setting.