Plzen Guide: Products "Made in Plzen" for International Trade

At first you can see that Plzen is not only a historical town but also an industrial one. Many trades, especially drapery, ensured the prosperity of the town. Nineteenth century was an important period for the spirit of enterprise.

The first steps in the industrialization of Plzen - the founding of burghers brewery in 1842 and the building of an engineering factory in 1859. The picturesque historical town gradually changed into an industrial town.
The year 1899 played an important role, too. That year the first tram-car went on its way through Plzen. The whole system was designed by a Czech inventor Frantisek Krizik, who is also known for his invention of the arch lamp.

The original machine manufactory belonging to Waldstein was bought by Emil Skoda. Under his management it expanded very rapidly into a well-known enterprise. The Skoda is one of the largest heavy-engineering enterprise in Czech Republic. Its products, including electrical locomotives, trolley-buses, reactors for nuclear power stations, metallurgical and energetic machinery, heavy machine tools, etc. are exported to more than seventy countries.

Nevertheless the fame belongs to Pilsner Urquell. It seems to be a paradox that the Plzeners had problems with the quality of local beer before the burghers brewery was founded. It was even necessary to import beer from other parts of Bohemia. But gradually the 12 grade beer became the most sought after beer.
The Prazdroj and Gambrinus are the best selling marks for export from 2.5 million hectolitres' production. But not only a brewing industry is established here: paper-making, food, building and printing industries are found here as well.

In Plzen neighbourhood there are rich deposits containing nonmetallic raw materials. They helped to develop glass and ceramics industry, oriented mainly towards building ceramics.

From Plzen the products then travel to all parts of Czech Republic and also further.

This collection is available in both English

and Czech

versions.

Milos Wimmer, May 1998