Brauerei A. Hürlimann | Zürich

Original Vintage Poster advertising the Hürlimann brewery in Zurich respectively one of those impressive bird’s-eye views of an imposing factory that were in vogue at the beginning of the last century. The creator, however, remains somewhat uncertain, as the signature H. Haller can hardly be attributed to Hermann Haller, who was already 33 years old at the time and enjoyed a certain reputation as a sculptor – he hardly considered it necessary to design a poster. A more likely candidate is the Zurich architect Hans Haller (1882 – 1959), who took over as director of the Gewerbemuseum Bern in 1924 and, in this capacity, designed at least one poster for the Ceramics School.

The brewery, founded in Feldbach near Hombrechtikon in 1836, did not move until thirty years later to the area now known as the Hürlimann site in Zurich’s Enge district due to the availability of a rail connection. The brewery was so successful that by 1880 it was the largest in Switzerland and bought up a number of smaller companies, followed by a merger with the Üetliberg brewery in 1921. However, the company had its best years still coming: Thanks to the Swiss beer cartel (official, as it was seen as a sensible way of regulating the market), which existed from the mid-1930s to the end of the 1980s.

In 1991, Feldschlösschen took over Hürlimann and ceased beer production in Enge. The industrial wasteland was redeveloped and the Hürlimann site is now primarily known as a large Google site.

maybe of interest as well:

Brewhouse Hürlimann – Zürich Main Station