# Jacob Obermann

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jacob_Obermann
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jacob_Obermann.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Obermann
> Source revision: 1347833682
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Jacob Obermann** (March 23, 1819 – April 24, 1887) was a German immigrant to the United States who became a prominent businessman in [Milwaukee, Wisconsin's brewing industry](/source/Beer_in_Milwaukee).[1]

## Personal life

Obermann was born in [Germany](/source/Germany) on March 23, 1819.[2] He immigrated to the United States in 1843.[3][4] He was a [Mason](/source/Freemasonry) and a member of the *[Turner Society](/source/Turners)*.[5] His father was Peter and he had a brother (Caspar) and sister (Catherine). He married twice; Maria until her death in 1852, then Barbara. He had four children (Barbara, Mary, Richard, Edwin) with his second wife.[2] He had at least four other children (Philip, Gustav, George, Herman), probably from his first marriage.[5] He was a member of the Milwaukee Common Council.[5] He died on April 24, 1887, at the age of 68 and is buried in Union Cemetery in [Milwaukee, Wisconsin](/source/Milwaukee,_Wisconsin).[2]

## Career

Obermann began his career as a shoemaker in 1843, then opened a store in 1849.[4] He continued with his shoe business until opening a brewery (named *Germania Brewery*) at 5th and Cherry streets in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1854 and brewed 'Standard', 'Weiner' and 'Extra Brew' styles of beer.[6][7][4][8] He had a partner in the business by the name of Max Fueger.[4] He added an ice house in 1866.[3] The brewery was the city's largest for twenty years until 1874.[6] By 1880, the brewer, along with his sons, was producing 30,000 barrels of beer annually.[7] Obermann's brewery became one of the leaders in Milwaukee's brewing industry until his death in 1887.[1][4] He was a member of the *Brewers' Insurance Company of America*[9][10] and a founding member of the *Mechanics Mutual Fire Insurance Company*.[5]

## Aftermath of the brewery

After Jacob Obermann's death, the business was continued by his sons until debt problems, due to an investment in [Chicago, Illinois](/source/Chicago,_Illinois), incurred a loss of $200,000, caused the company to go into [receivership](/source/Receivership) in 1893, then again in 1895. The brewery was subsequently sold at auction to [Philipp Jung](/source/Philipp_Jung).[5] Obermann's son Gustav went on to operate a brewery of his own at the end of the 19th century.[11]

## See also

- [List of defunct breweries in the United States](/source/List_of_defunct_breweries_in_the_United_States)

## References

1. [Brewing](https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/brewing/)

1. [Jacob Obermann](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/172420624/jacob-obermann)

1. [Breweries of Wisconsin](https://books.google.com/books?id=fiutGEdT7KwC&dq=Jacob+Obermann&pg=PA207)

1. [502 W CHERRY ST](https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI16247)

1. [Jacob Oberman Family 1850 - 1900s Milwaukee, WI](https://www.ancestry.com/boards/surnames.oberman/58/mb.ashx)

1. [A Walk Through Jacob Obermann Brewery](http://www.brewingmuseum.org/museum/walk-through-obermann-brewery)

1. [Rediscovering Milwaukee's historic breweries Part I: Milwaukee's downtown breweries](http://www.breweryhistory.com/journal/archive/140/Milwaukee.pdf)

1. ["Old brewery in Milwaukee will become new housing"](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-04-24-0404240302-story.html). *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*

1. [Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co.: A Chronological History 1873-1881](http://www.slahs.org/history/brewery/schlitz/history2.htm)

1. [The Brewers Fire Insurance Company 1870s Milwaukee, WI](https://www.ancestry.com/boards/surnames.oberman/59/mb.ashx)

1. [Gustav A. Obermann Brewing and Bottling Co. – WI 328a](http://www.oldbreweries.com/breweries-by-state/wisconsin/milwaukee-wi-74-breweries/gustav-a-obermann-brewing-and-bottling-co-wi-328a/)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jacob Obermann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Obermann) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Obermann?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.