Statue of Brouwer

The statue is a reminder of the former De Wever brewery.

In 1892 Theophiel Prosper De Wever (1869-1915), then living in Ooike (Wortegem-Petegem), bought the former Excelsior Brewery (1877) from P. Van der Stricht. The Van der Stricht family later built a larger brewery, Brouwerij Excelsior, on the Steendam in Ghent.

After the death of the founder De Wever, his wife Leonie Van de Casteele (1870-1926) and the sons continued the activity. The brewery continued to exist until 1983, when it was taken over by the Kronenbourg Brewery. In the third generation, the De Wever family continued to run the company as a beer depot, but in the meantime that activity has also been shut down.

The most famous beers were Duc, Hercule Pils, Stout, Oud Bruin and Export. The brewery and the houses, which were renovated in 1934, are still there on the Brouwerijstraat.

The beer was brewed with water from a private well located within the company. In case of emergency, an above-ground well could be called upon by the Vermassen family in the nearby Kuiperstraat. That source is still clearly visible from the public road.

pmoerman