![Advertisement for Swiss beer, by the Swiss Brewers’ Association.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/schweizer-bier-titel-300x225.jpg)
Beer as a mirror
With the fall of the beer cartel, Switzerland’s breweries entered a new era. The way was clear for foreign corporations, alternative business models and smaller competitors. This phenomenon reflects the history of an entire national economy.
![Newspaper advert urging people to fight the beer cartel, in the Bieler Tagblatt of 22 February 1985.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/bier-inserat-denner-107x300.jpg)
![Poster saying “No” to the initiative “Against the abuse of economic power”.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/plakat-bierkartell-211x300.jpg)
Lost protection
![Beer production in Switzerland 1940-2016. Never has more beer been produced in Switzerland than in 1971.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/bierproduktion-in-der-schweiz-1940-2016-300x291.jpg)
Survival strategies
![Demonstrators in Rheinfelden protesting the closure of the Cardinal brewery.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/demonstration-gegen-die-schliessung-der-cardinal-brauerei-in-rheinfelden-roh-3295-lm-1182214-300x200.jpg)
![Beer production in Switzerland 1940-2016. Never has more beer been produced in Switzerland than in 1971.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/anzahl-brauereien-1940-2018-295x300.jpg)
Localness, for the few
![A publican serves beers, ca. 1980.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/bier-ausschank-1980-300x202.jpg)