‘We demand good and healthy beer': the nutritional and social significance of beer for the lower classes in mid-nineteenth-century Munich

On 1 May 1844, thousands of lower-class men gathered in breweries and pubs throughout Munich, the capital of Bavaria, to celebrate the first of the month. This date celebrated warmer weather and heralded good cheer by marking the beginning of the city’s summer beer sales. This was a special day, and Munich’s residents traditionally flocked to the streets to partake in the ‘joy and pleasure’ of the summer beer garden experience. ¹ This year, however, the summer sales rapidly turned violent when beer – in terms of both price and quality – became a flashpoint for crowd resentment and anger.