Written by Franz Hofer for Tempest in a Tankard
The Wirtshaus is a Central European institution deeply rooted in medieval times. During the early and high Middle Ages, inns with taverns sprung up along trade and pilgrimage routes, offering food and accommodation to weary travelers, along with stables to quarter their horses. The vast majority of these establishments were run by the nobility or the clergy, catering either to the aristocracy and officials of the nascent bureaucracy, or to merchants and pilgrims.[1]
By the sixteenth century a dense network of Wirtshäuser linked cities, towns, and villages with rural and Alpine regions, all recognizable by the signs that hung above the door. Wreaths, tree boughs, or shrubs marked the spot. These rudimentary symbols eventually gave way to more ornate signs that recalled the coats-of-arms of various noble houses, or, if the Wirtshaus was near a church, to religious imagery such as the crowns of the three kings. To this day, many breweries and Wirtshäuser bear names tied to these symbols—Löwenbräu, Drei Kronen, Bärenwirt, to name but a few.
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