Bernard brothers
The Bernard brothers AG was founded in 1733 as the “Fürstlich Isenburgsche privileged snuff factory” in Offenbach am Main by Johann Nikolaus Bernard (1709–1780), making it the first tobacco factory in Germany. In 1812 a branch with manufacturing was relocated to Regensburg . In 1999 the company was relocated to the neighboring town of Sinzing . In June 2008 the snuff division was taken over by the newly founded "Bernard Schnupftabak GmbH ". A street in Offenbach am Main is named after the Bernard family.
Prehistory and foundation
Tobacco products had to be imported into German areas until 1733. The demand for this type of “colonial goods” was great in Europe, and the trade with it was accordingly lucrative. Countries like England , France , Spain and the Netherlands refined the raw material tobacco from their colonies into snuff and perfumed smoking tobacco, which were then mostly sold in pharmacies. The country-specific import and export duties made tobacco products more expensive, which gave the rulers of the countries concerned high income. Johann Nikolaus Bernard from Strasbourg received from the Offenbach regent Count Wolfgang-Ernst III. zu Isenburg-Birstein (also known as Wolfgang Ernst I. Prince of Isenburg and Büdingen) on January 31, 1733, the permission to build the "Fürstlich Isenburgsche privileged snuff factory" in Offenbach. In addition, the regent endowed the founder with far-reaching privileges. He received discounted building land for the construction of factories and private houses, duty exemption for the import of raw materials and for the export of the products and finally the tobacco manufacturing monopoly for the county. In addition, the family was allowed to use the Isenburg coat of arms.
Company history
Shortly after the company was founded, Johann Nikolaus Bernard brought his brother Johann Heinrich Bernard († 1766) into the company as a partner. First production took place on the site of today's Büsing-Palais , which was originally built as a modest version of the manor house of the Bernard family. Johann Heinrich's son Peter (1755–1805) and sons-in-law Jean Georg d'Orville and Peter Georg d'Orville (1747–1811) successfully continued the business under the protection of the privileges granted.
In 1812 the Bernard brothers bought the Zanthaus , a very large medieval patrician house castle in the Gesandersstrasse from the Princes Thurn and Taxis for 10,000 guilders , and founded a branch of their snuff factory there to save customs duties. As a result, the building was popularly called Schnupfe , a name that remained in use after 2000, after production had been relocated. After 1850, the company's industrialization began with the introduction of the steam engine into production processes. During this time the factory was expanded to the neighboring Ingolstätterhaus to the west, which suffered structural losses during the renovations. After the Bernardbau was completed in 1896 , production in Offenbach was relocated there. A successful product from this time was the so-called “ Schmalzler ”, which was made from fermented Brazilian tobacco. In 1923 the company was converted into a stock corporation and the headquarters moved from Offenbach to Regensburg. At times cigars, chewing and smoking tobacco were also produced in the Offenbach, Steinheim am Main and Sinzing branch factories. In 1955 the Offenbach location was given up and moved to Regensburg and in 1999 the entire company was relocated to Sinzing. In some of the former rooms of the factory in Regensburg, a municipal snuff museum was set up with the help of remaining equipment and old machines, which can be visited as part of guided tours.
The company was restructured on June 1, 2008 due to severe sales losses: Bernard Tabak AG was liquidated on May 31, 2008, production is now carried out by Bernard Schnupftabak GmbH in Sinzing.
Products
Bernard is best known for traditional menthol-free snuff , e.g. B. "Alt-Offenbacher delicious", "Offenbacher Cardinal", "Monastery mixture", "Tiled Virginie", "Pariser No. 2 "and" Russian eye tobacco "as well as classic Bavarian Schmalzler, such as the well-known" Regensburger Brasil Schmalzler "with the trademark" Schmalzlerfranzl ", which has been protected since 1894.
The range also includes modern, menthol-containing snuffs, such as the “Polarprise” and the “Jubiläums Snuff”. Particularly noteworthy, because their composition is unique, are the varieties "Zwiefacher", a mixture of Schmalzler and Snuff, and the menthol-containing "Schmalzler white-blue".
Individual evidence
- ^ Karl Bauer: Regensburg Art, Culture and Everyday History . 6th edition. MZ-Buchverlag in H. Gietl Verlag & Publication Service GmbH, Regenstauf 2014, ISBN 978-3-86646-300-4 , p. 349, 351 .
