Brewery Foundation 1855 (≈ 1855)
Created by David Gruber in Strasbourg.
1885
Refrigeration system
Refrigeration system 1885 (≈ 1885)
Modernisation with Quiri and Cie.
1959
Repurchase by Fischer
Repurchase by Fischer 1959 (≈ 1959)
Change of owner before closing.
1965
Final closure
Final closure 1965 (≈ 1965)
End of brewing activity.
9 octobre 2024
Registration Historical monument
Registration Historical monument 9 octobre 2024 (≈ 2024)
Protection of facades and cellars.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The facades and roofs of: the former seat of the brewery at 91 Route des Romans (cad MT plot 70); former red brick offices parallel to the former brewery headquarters (box MT parcel 103); the brick building span of Marcel Eissen at 89A Route des romans (cad MT plot 102A); the cellars and underground galleries and their plated land situated under the parking lot and Building A (box MT parcel 103), identified as Lot IX, named S11, S12, S13 and S14, and a cellar on vaults and piles at level -1, in gallery G3, under the parking lot of approximately 600 m2 and a cellar at level -2, located 91 Route des romans, on parcels Nos. 62, 65, 70, 81, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 102A, 103, 105, 106, 108, 109, 110, 114, 118, 142, 143, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, shown in cadastre section MT, all in accordance with the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 9 October 2024
Key figures
David Gruber - Founder and chemist
Creator of the brewery in 1855.
Marcel Eissen - Architect
Author of a span on the 89A Route of the Romans.
Origin and history
The Gruber brewery, founded in 1855 by David Gruber, chemist and pharmacist, moved to the Koenigshoffen district of Strasbourg. Specializing in low-fermentation beer, it innovates by using ice-fed cellars, then a refrigeration facility as early as 1885, produced by the Société Quiri et Cie de Schiltigheim. The proximity of the Strasbourg-Koenigshoffen station allows for year-round rail distribution, making Gruber one of the first breweries to adopt this mode of transport.
In 1959, the brewery was bought by Fischer, before closing permanently in 1965. The site, transformed into an economic park in the 1970s, underwent major modifications, but preserved remains such as the Louis XIII facades (la Mansart roof, red bricks and sandstone), the unloading docks, and underground galleries dug in the loess. The latter, exceptional by their conservation, bear witness to the technical ingenuity of David Gruber.
The historic headquarters (91 Route des Romans), the red brick offices, a span designed by architect Marcel Eissen, as well as the cellars and underground galleries have been listed in the Historic Monuments since 9 October 2024. Despite degradations (squats, wild warehouses), the site remains a symbol of Alsatian industrial heritage, combining brewing innovation and characteristic architecture.
Today, the Gruber Economic Park, which is half of its size, is home to a dozen buildings and hundreds of daily visitors. The ice cellars, although fragile (especially under the main parking lot), and the abandoned buildings to the south recall the historic importance of the site, between technical heritage and contemporary preservation challenges.
