German brewer Hofbrauhaus Wolters and subsidiary Colbitzer file for insolvency

The traditional Braunschweig brewery Hofbrauhaus Wolters, founded in the 19th century, filed for insolvency in July 2026. Its subsidiary, Colbitzer Heide‑Brauerei—a Saxony‑Anhalt brewery established in 1872—submitted its own insolvency petition days later. Both companies are now in self‑administration; production will continue and wages are secured through insolvency payments. Wolters had rescued Colbitzer in 2013, investing €450,000 and making it a 100 % subsidiary. Colbitzer entered 2024 with negative equity of €735,000, barely €3,000 in cash and a workforce reduced to five employees. The Braunschweig district court appointed lawyer Torsten Gutmann as provisional insolvency administrator for both firms. The case reflects a broader rise in German corporate bankruptcies, with over 24,000 insolvency filings recorded in 2025—the highest level in more than a decade.