Mannheim's Mayor Specht on Eichbaum Closure: "We Are Maximally Disappointed"

Reactions from Politics and Trade Unions

Despite the setback, Specht has not entirely given up hope. He has "not yet given up the last hope," said the mayor. In addition, "240 employees now face redundancy," he quoted from company communications.

The IG Metall trade union reacted with sharp words. The managing director of IG Metall Mannheim, Thomas Hahl, declared: "Eichbaum darf nicht sterben." He proposed that the state-owned Rothaus brewery should take over continued operations. Hahl also suggested that the neighboring clinic network should take over the company premises. In the event that wrong decisions had led to the closure, he demanded consequences: "Wenn Fehlentscheidungen getroffen wurden, dann dürfen nicht die Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer die Rechnung bezahlen. Verantwortung muss dort übernommen werden, wo Entscheidungen getroffen werden. Manager müssen für ihre Fehler haften und sich ihrer Verantwortung stellen."

The Mannheim CDU also expressed being affected. It assessed the closure as a "further setback for Mannheim as a business location" and as "a further sign that the economic framework conditions for many companies in Germany are increasingly difficult." The SPD parliamentary group in the city council said it was "deeply affected by the end" and pointed out that with the traditional brewery, the city would also lose "a piece of its identity."

Economic Situation and Insolvency

Regarding the economic causes of the closure, the company informed: "sei eine wirtschaftliche Fortführung nicht mehr möglich." Reasons cited included declining beer demand in Germany and falling export figures. According to company information, the brewery had most recently supplied customers in more than 60 countries. Extensive restructuring measures had already been initiated previously; as part of these, the Karamalz brand had been sold to the Veltins brewery, among other things.

The brewery had filed for insolvency at the end of October 2025. Eichbaum originally employed around 290 staff; this number had been reduced to about 240 as part of the restructuring. Now, according to earlier reports, "Rund 250 Beschäftigte ihren Arbeitsplatz verlieren." A planned transfer company for about 30 employees will not be set up; the remaining staff will receive short-notice terminations.

The Food, Beverages and Catering Trade Union (NGG) is calling for swift negotiations on a social plan and support for those affected in finding new jobs. However, "der Sozialplan im Rahmen eines Insolvenzverfahrens auf maximal drei Monatsentgelte gedeckelt ist," which significantly limits the scope for severance payments.

Impact on the Brezelfest in Speyer

The news has also had an impact beyond Mannheim. The Mannheim brewery has been the exclusive supplier of the Speyer Brezelfest for over 50 years. "Die Mannheimer liefern das Bier und sämtliche nicht-alkoholischen Getränke für die 300.000 Brezelfestgäste," it was said. "Außerdem stellen sie Sonnenschirme sowie Biertische und -bänke bereit und eine Bierpipeline, die sämtliche Wirte auf dem Festplatz versorgt." Uwe Wöhlert from the Speyer Transport Association said he was "geschockt über die Nachricht, dass die Brauerei geschlossen wird." "Die Einnahmen aus dem Exklusivvertrag mit Eichbaum seien Voraussetzung dafür, dass das Brezelfest überhaupt stattfinden kann," he emphasized.

Until 1969, the Speyer Storchen brewery had supplied the drinks for the Brezelfest before being taken over by Eichbaum. The Mannheim brewery itself was founded in 1679, looking back on 347 years of company history – a chapter that, according to the current state of affairs, will soon come to an end.