Honors College Thesis
 

Brewing in Europe’s central frontier : negotiating ethnic identity in beer within the Czech-German borderlands

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/honors_college_theses/sq87c2591

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  • Over the last two centuries, Pilsner beer has become a symbol of Czech national identity. Originating in the Western Czech town of Plzeň, the unique color and flavor spread globally, with new styles further branching off the Central European stem. It is with great pride that the Czech people are known throughout the world as beer connoisseurs, innovators, admirers, and experts. However, without the German influence on Czech beer, developed over a millennium of exchanges across a lengthy borderland, the true Pilsners of today may not have existed, certainly not in their present form. Indeed, the standardization of Czech beer, and its use as a vehicle for Czech national identity, is a recent phenomenon, drawing upon years of interaction with German speakers and German brewing traditions; yet this reality has been forgotten by modern Czech brewers, and academia, as has the rich culture that once existed along the borderlands between German and Czech speakers. This thesis aims to overcome the textual erasure of this history, and serve as a reminder of nationalism’s impact on both historic fact and important cultural facets (such as beer).
  • Keywords: nationalism, beer, history, Czech, Bohemia, Germany, erasure, Pilsner
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