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Author: Sophie Wenkel
Original article: https://thebetter.news/freyung-cooperative/
While many small towns are losing their last pub, Freyung in Bavaria is telling a different story. Locals saved their brewery, built a community sauna, and are now turning an abandoned tavern into a lively cultural center. Their tool for success? Cooperatives. These not only preserve buildings – they also build lasting community bonds.
From Empty Pub to Vibrant Cultural Hub
In the center of Freyung, a town of 7,000 residents, an old tavern had been standing empty for years. Now, locals are breathing new life into it through a cooperative. Their vision includes a festival hall for clubs, studios upstairs, and concerts in the basement. Already, 70 people have committed to buying shares. Initiator Roland Pongratz says:
“It’s important to me that there are places where people can meet,”
Renovations are set to begin later this year – provided enough people join. Planning is underway, discussions with local businesses are ongoing, and the founding team remains optimistic.
Saving the Brewery: A First Big Win
But this isn’t Freyung’s first citizen-led project. Back in 2014, the town’s historic brewery, Lang Bräu, was on the verge of closure. The owner planned to sell to a large brewery, which would have ended local production and cost many jobs. Rather than giving up, the mayor rallied citizens to form a cooperative. With five founding members and €250,000 in pledges, they saved both the brewery and a vital part of the town’s identity.
Today, 280 people are part of the brewery cooperative. Joining costs €5,000 per share. Founding member Richard Gibis puts it simply:
“Home is a part of our quality of life – and everyone can help shape it. One person can’t do it alone, but a community can.”
The brewery now distributes profits – either in beer or lemonade. Meanwhile, the scent of malt once again drifts through Freyung’s streets.
Sweating Together: Freyung’s Own Sauna
Another project highlights the same spirit. For decades, no public sauna existed within 50 kilometers of Freyung. Instead of waiting for change, 120 locals built one themselves. Led by Peter Sammer, the group raised over €320,000 through two years of voluntary effort.
Today, Freyung’s sauna is a reality – and the city is adding a public natural swimming pond nearby to complement it.
What is a Cooperative?
A cooperative is a group of people who work together toward shared economic, social, or cultural goals. Every member has one vote, no matter how much money they contribute. Profits are either shared among members or reinvested for the common good. Importantly, cooperatives are owned by their members, not by external investors. Since 2016, cooperatives have been recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage — though many people still don’t realize how powerful this model can be.
A Global Movement for Local Power
Freyung’s success is part of a larger trend around the world. In Darup, Germany, a citizen-led cooperative saved the last village pub. In Oaxaca, Mexico, Indigenous farmers formed a coop to break free from exploitative middlemen. Meanwhile, in France, workers at the iconic Duralex glass factory turned their struggling company into a cooperative, saving every job. Across the globe in Taipei, Taiwan, artists transformed a rundown neighborhood into a thriving green community.
