GO FOR IT. GO FOR IT!

June 4, 2025, by Wolfgang Weiler

Highlife at Düsseldorf's Oldest In-House Brewery

"Füchschen" wasn't on the menu today. Today, "Schumacher" was the drink of choice for Altbier fans. The "oldest Altbier in town" has been brewed on Oststraße since 1838 according to time-honored craft traditions. And the original location of the Schumacher Altbier brewery hosted the second evening of the DSTNCMP²⁵.

After 16 intensive morning sessions, followed by in-depth workshops or city tours in the afternoon, the participants celebrated in a boisterous, loud, and beer-fueled atmosphere. The sessions focused on “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” the impact of AI on improving efficiency within DMOs, and the diversification of funding. They also covered inclusion and accessibility, climate change, destination branding, smart destinations, attributional booking, optimization strategies, and experience design, …

Müsterken and Köbesse

Brewery Manager Thea Ungermann and her kitchen team treated the participants to samples of ground pork and tartare, Flöns, slices of liver sausage and cream cheese on dark malt bread, meatballs, Rhineland-style marinated roast beef and potato salad, salmon, and celery cutlets.

The typical "Köbesse" juggled their trays among the tightly packed guests, nimbly replacing every empty glass with freshly poured Alt, and kept everyone in good spirits with their cheeky banter.

The excitement only grew when Börnie interviewed Pierre Littbarski interviewed. The 1990 World Cup champion lived in Japan for many years and worked as a coach there. He had already served as a catalyst during the day in the “Segments and Values” segment with Bettina Bülte, and now he also delighted the guests on “Schumacher” with his witty remarks.

Four Generations of BREWING CULTURE

Mayor Josef II Hinkel welcomed the guests, while his son Josef III gave a masterful presentation of Schumacher’s Altbiers —even though he is just about to complete his training as a brewer at Schumacher. His boss, Thea Ungermann, spoke about the centuries-old craft of brewing and proudly highlighted the “girl power” that has guided Düsseldorf’s oldest brewery for four generations now.

Japanese choirs delight audiences with the "Altbierlied"

The absolute highlight of the joyful evening was the performance by the Sakura Choir and the Düsseldorf Japanese Men’s Choir, hosted by its chairman, Thomas J. Takeda. In addition to two Japanese folk songs, they sang the “Altbierlied” and the “Steigerlied” with powerful voices, thrilling the DSTNCMP²⁵to sing along and sway to the music. The chorus of Die Toten Hosen echoed through the venue a hundredfold:

Yeah, we're out here in the woods—where's our Altbier? We've got the longest bar in the world right here in Düsseldorf. Yeah, we're out here in the woods—where's our Altbier? Where's the hero who'll buy everyone a round with his money?

LITTLE TOKYO IN DÜSSELDORF

With the traditional miners' song "Glück auf, Glück auf!," the two choirs paid tribute to the long-standing mining ties between Düsseldorf and Japan.

In the 1960s, the first Japanese miners came to the Ruhr region to work in the coal mines. Today, there are about 8,500 Japanese residents in Düsseldorf, and more than 200 Japanese companies shape the cityscape of “Little Tokyo.” More than 400 Japanese companies provide over 23,000 jobs in the greater Düsseldorf area.

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

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