Battle of Beer and Wine
Conserving the Murals of Der Rathskeller and Der Stiftskeller
The walls of Der Rathskeller and Der Stiftskeller tell a story: the story of students, the university, and a war between beer and wine.
German immigrant and artist Eugene Hausler painted the original murals when Der Rathskeller first opened in 1928. There were eight murals total, representing six facets of university life: athletics, forensics, student government, journalism, drama, and music. The mural that graces the Eastern fireplace represents the “fun” side of student life, while the mural on the opposite fireplace represented the “serious” side.
In 1978, Kurt Schaldach, another German artist, restored the murals. He also added new artwork to Der Stiftskeller, including one mural called the “Battle of Beer and Wine” based on a mural in Munich. The mural, which depicts a battle between an army of beer steins taking on a squadron of gnomes employing wine and champagne bottles with cork cannonballs, is a favorite of many Stiftskeller visitors.
In 2012, the expansive renovation of the Memorial Union required the removal of the canvassed murals. It also, unfortunately, meant the destruction of the murals hand-painted directly on the walls. A team of conservators documented the murals through tracings and photographs. When the space reopened, all the murals, including those that had been destroyed, were carefully reconstructed, preserving the stories and history of the beloved space.
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Kurt Shaldach
1978 – Kurt Shaldach pauses for a photo while painting the "Battle of Beer and Wine" mural in Der Stiftskeller.
Image courtesy of the UW-Madison Archives, #2017s01062.
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Open House at Der Rathskeller
1950 – Students sit and roast marshmallows by the west fireplace in Der Rathskeller during the Union Open House. The mural above the fireplace reads, when translated from German, "to be able, to know, and to will shall make the master."
Image courtesy of the UW-Madison Archives, #S04004.
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Haitian Students at the Rathskeller
ca. 1955 – Students from Port-au-Prince, Haiti sit at a table in the Rathskeller in Memorial Union. Left to right: Albert Beyer, economics; Louis F. Balzir and Marc Jean-Michel, both agricultural economics.
Image courtesy of the UW-Madison Archives.
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Rathskeller on Opening Day
1928 – Der Rathskeller on opening day with murals by immigrant and artist, Eugene Hausler.
Image courtesy of the UW-Madison Archives, #2017s01283.
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Der Rathskeller, 2018
2018 — Der Rathskeller, newly refreshed and renovated, lost none of its cozy charm.
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"The Battle of Beer and Wine"
ca. 1978 – Artist Kurt Shaldach painting a mural in Der Siftskeller called the "Battle of Beer and Wine. Who shall win? Who shall lose? Who knows?"
Image courtesy of the UW-Madison Archives, #2017s01062.
