The old beer cellars in Haidhausen date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. © private
Countless beer cellars lie invisibly under the floor in Haidhausen. But now monument conservationists are sounding the alarm: Three of these cellars are endangered – by the construction of the second trunk line.
It is a city of its own: in the 20th and 18th centuries, around 19 breweries stored their beer brewed in summer in cellars on the Gasteig between Preysing and Innerer Wiener Straße. Only there, on the gachen (i.e. steep) climb – the Gasteig – could they dig deep enough so that the mighty barrel vaults did not stand in the groundwater.
Today, the cellars are no longer in use. Most breweries don't even exist anymore. However, the buildings are a testimony to Munich's beer past. And as such, three of these cellars are also listed as historical monuments.
The main line is to run under three listed cellars
At Preysingplatz 3–7 are the old brick vaults in which the Eberlbräu, the Kapplerbräu and the Thorbräu once stored their summer brew. The cellars, which are a good four metres high, are about ten metres underground. But it goes even deeper. Because the second trunk line is to run directly underneath. And that's exactly what worries preservationists.
Astrid Assél and Christian Huber have written a book about Munich's beer cellars. © private
Astrid Assél and Christian Huber have dealt intensively with the beer cellars and published their findings in the book "Munich's Forgotten Cellar City". The couple now fears that the three listed vaults will not be able to survive the construction work. "The boreholes could cause vibrations that could lead to damage," says Assél.
Railway excludes endangerment of the building fabric
The author has therefore already made representations to the railway – but without success. When asked by our newspaper, the authority responsible for the second trunk line of the railway said that the construction activities had no influence on the safety of the beer cellars. "The tunnel tubes will be built using a mechanized tunnelling process," says a railway spokesman. This construction method is "very low-settlement" and has already been successfully applied several times in the construction of the Munich subway. A threat to the building fabric could be ruled out, this would also be confirmed by an expert opinion.
But that doesn't reassure Assél. The reason is the condition of many old cellars. During their research, the couple was also allowed to visit one or the other vault. "The cellars, which have since been built over, have been supported with pillars," says Assél. In her opinion, the same should happen with the three listed cellars before the drilling for the second trunk line. "Otherwise, I'm afraid the vaults won't hold up."