If you’ve visited Munich, you probably know the Praterinsel. The former Riemerschmid spirit factory is located in the heart of the Bavarian capital in view of the Maximilianeum, the Deutsches Museum and the magnificent Maximiliansstraße. As imposing as its location is the island’s history, which looks back on 200 years as a place of leisure.

The Franciscan monks were forced to give up their island, which they used as a kitchen garden, during the course of the secularization. The monks were paid 1300 gulden by the enterprising innkeeper Anton Gruber, and the focus shifted from spiritual to corporal recreation. Named after the well-known Viennese landmark, the island attracted its visitors with quaffable beer and – from 1813 – with a ballroom. In 1817 the wooden structure was replaced by a stone building.

In 1867 Anton Gruber succumbed to economic pressures and was forced to sell the Praterinsel to Anton Riemerschmid, a liquor and vinegar manufacturer. He relocated his production facilities to the island.

In 1922 Professor Richard Riemerschmid reconstructed the main building to its current form. The core of this building still features remains of the Prater building dating back to the Biedermeier era – the oldest building elements remaining on the island.

Late Classicism features are clearly visible in the design of the factory and residential annex, which is also exemplary of early industrial architecture. Even after numerous alterations and reconstructions the magnificent three-aisle halls and the conference saloon remain as core characteristics of the building.

The appeal of the venue’s southern wing lies in its interior design, which was very modern in those days and was carried out in accordance with the ongoing industrial progress. The remarkable portico is an impressive evidence for the former use of the building as a vinegar factory.

In 1984 Riemerschmid once more relocated the production facilities of his by now well-known liquids to the outskirts of Munich. The idyllic ensemble lay idle until the commanding column halls were renovated in 1992 and subsequently used as an event venue. Since February 2010 the event agency planworx, located on the historic premises, is operating this special place with an eventful past. Finally the doors of the Praterinsel are open once again for events, cultural functions and the public.