GOOD LUCK. GOOD LUCK!

On June 04, 2025 by Wolfgang Weiler

Lively times in Düsseldorf's oldest house brewery

No "Füchschen" today. Today, "Schumacher" was the place to be for Altbier fans. The "city's oldest Altbier" has been brewed since 1838 according to old artisanal tradition on Oststrasse. And the Schumacher Altbier brewery's main house hosted the second evening of DSTNCMP²⁵.

After 16 intensive morning sessions, complemented by in-depth workshops or city explorations in the afternoon, the celebration was exuberant, boisterous, and beer-fueled. The sessions covered "Other Countries, Other Customs", the influence of AI on increasing efficiency in DMOs, the diversification of funding. They also addressed inclusion and accessibility, climate change, destination branding, smart destinations, attributional booking, optimization strategies, experience staging, …

Müsterken and Köbesse

Brewery owner Thea Ungermann and her kitchen team treated the participants to Mett and Tartar "Müsterken", with Flöns, liver sausage slices and cream cheese on dark malt bread, meatballs, Rhenish Sauerbraten and potato salad, salmon, and celeriac schnitzel.

The typical "Köbesse" (brewery waiters) juggled their trays among the crowded guests, swiftly replaced every empty glass with freshly tapped Altbier, and ensured a good mood with their cheeky remarks.

The atmosphere intensified when Börnie interviewed Pierre Littbarski. The 1990 football world champion lived in Japan for many years and worked as a coach. He had already been a key speaker during the day in the "Segments and Values" theme with Bettina Bülte and now also delighted the guests at "Schumacher" with witty remarks.

Four Generations of BREWING CULTURE

Mayor Josef II. Hinkel welcomed the guests, and his son Josef III. masterfully presented Schumacher's Altbiere – even though he is only just about to complete his training as a brewer at Schumacher. His boss, Thea Ungermann, spoke about the centuries-old brewing craft and proudly highlighted the "woman power" with which Düsseldorf's oldest brewery has been run for four generations.

Japanese Choirs Delight with the Altbierlied

The absolute highlight of the joyful evening was the performance by the Sakura Choir and the Japanese Men's Choir Düsseldorf, moderated by its chairman Thomas J. Takeda. In addition to two Japanese folk songs, they powerfully sang the "Altbierlied" and the "Steigerlied," encouraging the DSTNCMP²⁵ participants to sing along and sway. The chorus of Die Toten Hosen echoed through the venue a hundredfold:

Are we in the forest here, where is our Altbier? In Düsseldorf, we have the longest bar in the world. Are we in the forest here, where is our Altbier? Where is the hero who will buy a round with his money?

LITTLE TOKYO IN DÜSSELDORF

With the traditional miners' song "Glück auf, Glück auf!" (Good luck, good luck!), the two choirs connected to the traditional mining relations between Düsseldorf and Japan.

In the 1960s, the first Japanese miners came to the Ruhr region as comrades. Today, around 8,500 Japanese residents live in Düsseldorf, and more than 200 Japanese companies shape the cityscape in "Little Tokyo." Over 400 Japanese companies secure more than 23,000 jobs in the greater Düsseldorf area.

Perhaps nowhere else in Germany has the integration of "guest workers" been more successful than that of the Japanese in Düsseldorf.

IMPRESSIONS from the day
CC-BY netzvitamine GmbH/ Johannes Leistner