2.5 kilograms of the finest Rheinisches Apfelkraut, sweetened with granulated sugar, for 3.50 Deutschmarks – you could buy that from the Wirtz company in the fall of 1950. Their cabbage press is one of the oldest in the village and in all of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Bergisch Neukirchen is considered part of the "Bergisches Obstkammer", which is how the fertile stretch of land between the Dhünn in the south, the Wupper in the north, the Bergisches Land in the east and the Rhine in the west is roughly outlined. People noticed early on that the loess soils around Bergisch Neukirchen allow fruit to thrive particularly well. The first to come up with it were monks at the end of the 12th century. Active cultivation developed over the centuries, which certainly helped the farmers to prosper.
In the 1920s, fruit growing experienced a heyday: District Administrator Lucas had the sales channels modernized, he introduced the office of district gardener and fruit tree warden to support the growers. An important part of the production chain were the fruit presses and cabbage factories, whose history dates back to the 17th century.
First press in the 19th century
In 1811 Johann Wirtz built one of the first presses and further developed the technology. Wirtz's house with the inscription "Oldest Rhenish apple cabbage factory" is still in Bergisch Neukirchen.
Translated by Google •
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