Brouwerij Willems
History
Founded in 1930 by Louis (Lode) Willems (b. 1895) at Weverstraat 11 in Wambeek. The brewery produced Gueuze and Krieken-Lambic. Willems was a direct competitor of Louis De Troch, both in brewing and political life. De Troch had been the mayor of Wambeek since 1899, and used his influence to apply political pressure on his competitors, waging an economic war on his business rivals in the 1930's. In 1932, Lode Willems was elected as a provincial councilor. In 1933, he ran against incumbent mayor Louis De Troch, and won by 15 votes. Shortly before his planned inauguration as mayor of Wambeek, he suddenly passed away. It is believed that he was poisoned, and sadly his grave was also defaced by political opponents.
The brewery operations were continued solely by his widow Maria Severanckx until 1935. In 1936, a partnership was formed with a Baron von Lynden Ollenhaller via an uncle's business contacts. Unfortunately, Ollenhaller severely mismanaged the brewery and it soon fell into disrepair. Even the diligent and skillful widow Severanckx couldn't save it from ruin. The brewery equipment and inventory were eventually sold off to Louis De Troch.
Beers
- Gueuze
- Krieken-Lambic
Photos
Only known photo of Lode Willems. Source: José Willems
1930's advertising sign. Source: José Willems
Scanned pages from Wambeek: Bijdragen Tot de Geschiedenis.
Former Brouwerij Willems at Weverstraat 11, Wambeek. Source: Google Maps
Photo of former Brouwerij Willems, rear building with fireplace smokestack. Source: José Willems
Sources
- Correspondence with José Willems, granddaughter of Lode Willems, 2017.
- Jef Van den Steen, Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer, 2012. pp. 80.
- Guido Van Cauwelaert, "In Search of a Grandfather Who Changed the History of Wambeek", Editie Pajot, 01 Dec 2017.
- Wambeek: Bijdragen Tot de Geschiedenis / Luc Van Eeckhoudt, Luc Sergooris, Armand Timmermans – 1993 – bibliotheek Ternat siso 938.1. pp. 306-307.