Bernard Is Privatized and Revived in Humpolec

On October 26, 1991, Stanislav Bernard, Josef Vávra, and Rudolf Šmejkal purchased the bankrupt brewery in Humpolec at an auction held under Czechoslovakia’s small-privatization program. They paid five times its book value for a brewery whose equipment was badly outdated, whose beer had a poor reputation, and whose sales had fallen sharply. The new owners rebuilt the operation and created the Bernard brand around traditional Czech brewing, unpasteurized beer, and a distinct independent identity. The revival became a prominent example of a historic Czech brewery surviving the transition from state ownership to a competitive market after the fall of communism. Bernard later invested in its own malthouse and, in 2001, gained additional investment when Duvel Moortgat acquired a 50 percent share in the company.