I have difficulty, as mentioned previously, in making out all the letters when either an Old German font style or fancy cursive letters are used. However, based on what I think the letters are, I provide what they mean below.
What the inscription means:
• “Lauterbach” a small town in Hesse, Germany.
• “Wirtschaft” literally “inn” “tavern,” or “public house” — a place where food and drink are served.
• “59” likely the pubic haus, inn, tavern number.
So “Lauterbacher Wirtschaft 59” simply means “Tavern 59 of Lauterbach.”
Note: This phrasing parallels how inns / taverns identified themselves to patrons and suppliers.
In small towns, the municipal or licensing office often assigned each tavern a numerical identifier; having that number on the stein reinforced which establishment the mug belonged to. The number had other practical uses as well.
Now, what makes this stein particularly special, is that it’s a commemorative masskrug. We know this by the nice engraving on the face of the lid that reads:
“Weihnachten 1916” or (“Christmas 1916”). This makes it a commemorative stein, likely produced at the end of that year as a gift for patrons of the Wirtschaft or Wirtshaus over the holiday.
A bit of historical context:
1. Stoneware steins of the early 20th?century.
• Made from salt glazed “westerwald” clay (grey body with blue slip decoration).
• Cobalt-blue script like this one was hand-applied before glazing.
2. Why inns / taverns issued commemorative steins?
• To reward loyal customers and guild members, especially during wartime years.
• Christmas steins (“Weihnachtssonderausgaben”) were popular keepsakes through WW1.
3. Lauterbach, Hesse, Germany.
• A market town with a long tradition of forestry and small scale brewing or tied inns.
• By 1916, many small taverns commissioned their own steins rather than relying on larger breweries’ designs.
This stein has a CLOSED 3 RING HINGE.
***** Condition and rarity: Christmas steins from 1916 are quite collectible, especially if the Wirtschaft or Wirtshaus still exists or has records. Recall, World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, puts this stein’s date right in the middle of WW1. I always say, it’s amazing any survived WW1, and then to survive another one, WW2, well, not many did. So I feel lucky to have this one for awhile before the next caretaker continues to care and enjoy it as much as I am.
As always, I welcome and appreciate your feedback. I especially would appreciate confirmation if I have deciphered the letters correctly?? Ha ha. Thanks!
View the collection of Jorge O. Soriano
| type | stein | material | stoneware |
| producer | mold | - | |
| designer/decorator | |||
| capacity | 1L. | ||
| design date | 1916 |
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