Frederick the Greats war on coffee - the manifesto and the coffee sniffers
Imagine a king who officially proclaims that his subjects should drink beer instead of coffee, and appoints special officials whose only task is to track down illegal coffee roasting by smell. It sounds absurd, and yet it is a true story from eighteenth-century Prussia. King Frederick the Great, alarmed by the growing popularity of coffee and the outflow of money from the country to buy it, declared war on coffee. In a famous manifesto he lamented the consumption of coffee and called on his subjects to drink beer, and to enforce his policy he appointed a squad of coffee sniffers. Behind this peculiar story, however, lie quite rational, economic motives. Here is the tale of Frederick the Greats war on coffee, of why it happened, what it looked like and why it ultimately turned out to be lost, like other attempts to fight this drink.
The manifesto against coffee
The core of this story is the famous manifesto in which Frederick the Great spoke out against coffee. In a proclamation from the second half of the eighteenth century, the king expressed regret over the growing consumption of coffee among his subjects and over the sums that left the country because of it. He stated outright that his subjects should drink beer instead of coffee. It is remarkable that a ruler interfered so directly in what people drink and called for the replacement of one drink with another. This manifesto perfectly captures Fredericks determination to limit the drinking of coffee and his conviction that he had the right to direct the consumption habits of his subjects. This document went down in history as one of the most colorful manifestations of the authorities fight against coffee. It shows how seriously the question of coffee consumption was treated and how far the king was willing to go to limit it. The manifesto against coffee is the symbolic beginning of this whole peculiar war, in which a ruler stood against the growing popularity of a stimulating drink.
The economic causes
To understand the war on coffee, you have to know its economic background. Fredericks main motive was not concern for morality or health but the finances of the state. Coffee was an imported commodity, for which one had to pay, which meant an outflow of money from the country abroad. The king feared that the growing consumption of coffee and the import connected with it seriously burdened the economy. He spoke of considerable sums leaving the country each year to buy coffee. From the perspective of a ruler caring about the finances of the state, it was a real problem. Promoting beer instead of coffee had a double economic benefit. First, it limited imports and the outflow of money. Second, it supported local breweries, which produced beer locally, keeping money in the country. This makes Fredericks war on coffee a largely economic decision, dictated by concern for the trade balance and support for domestic production. Although the form of this fight was peculiar, its source was a rational, if debatable, economic calculation concerning money and the local economy.
Beer as an alternative
A key element of Fredericks policy was promoting beer as an alternative to coffee. The king not only discouraged coffee but actively pointed to beer as the drink his subjects should drink instead of it. This had several justifications. Beer was produced locally, so drinking it supported the domestic economy and did not cause an outflow of money abroad. Additionally, the king considered beer a healthier or more suitable drink for his subjects. Promoting beer therefore fit a broader strategy of supporting local production and limiting imports. This shows that the war on coffee also had a positive dimension, from the rulers perspective, of supporting domestic brewing. Beer became a symbol of the desired drink, local and supporting the economy, as opposed to coffee, perceived as a costly import. This juxtaposition of beer and coffee as drinks representing different economic interests is the core of Fredericks policy. The choice between them was, in his eyes, not only a matter of taste but also of loyalty to the domestic economy.
The coffee sniffers
The most colorful and peculiar element of this story is the coffee sniffers. To enforce his policy and limit the illegal roasting of coffee, Frederick appointed a special squad of officials whose task was to track down coffee by smell. They were often war veterans who roamed the streets of cities, sniffing for the characteristic aroma of roasting coffee. When they sensed the smell of coffee roasting, they could track down those who roasted it without the appropriate permit. It is a remarkable image, officials literally sniffing for coffee on the streets. This squad of coffee sniffers operated for a certain period, constituting an element of the system of control and enforcement of the kings policy on coffee. The idea of tracking down illegal coffee roasting by smell is so peculiar that it became one of the most recognizable details of this whole story. The coffee sniffers perfectly illustrate how far the authorities went in their war on coffee and what unusual methods were used to limit the drinking of this drink. It is a colorful symbol of the absurdity to which an attempt to control peoples consumption habits can lead.
The roasting monopoly
Besides the sniffers, Frederick also introduced a monopoly on coffee roasting. When it turned out that discouragement and control alone were not enough, the king decided to limit the roasting of coffee to official establishments controlled by the state. Roasting coffee outside these places became illegal, which was meant to hinder ordinary peoples access to freshly roasted coffee. The goal was to limit coffee to narrow, privileged circles, such as the court, the nobility or officers. This shows the escalation of the kings actions. When milder methods failed, he reached for a monopoly and restrictions, trying to take coffee away from the broad masses. The monopoly on coffee roasting was therefore another step in the war on this drink, meant to make it hard to access for ordinary subjects. This striving to make coffee a luxury reserved for the elites well captures Fredericks determination. Even so, as history shows, such restrictions rarely turn out to be fully effective against a drink that has managed to gain wide recognition and many devoted supporters.
Why the war was doomed to fail
Despite the kings determination and peculiar methods, his war on coffee was doomed to fail. Coffee had already gained enormous popularity, and attempts to limit it collided with peoples strong attachment to this drink. Enforcing the bans and the monopoly was difficult, and the coffee sniffers, though colorful, were unable to stop the widespread drinking of coffee. People found ways to obtain and drink coffee despite the restrictions. This shows a timeless regularity, that an attempt to take away from people a popular drink that has managed to penetrate their lives rarely ends in success. The rulers determination turned out to be weaker than the subjects attachment to coffee. Fredericks war on coffee, though waged with flourish, ultimately failed to eradicate this drink. Coffee survived and continued to gain popularity, despite all the attempts to limit it. It is another example of how hard it is to ban something people have come to love, and how the power of social attachment can outweigh even the most determined policy of the authorities.
A pattern of fighting coffee
Frederick the Greats war on coffee fits a broader, recurring pattern of the authorities fighting this drink. In various places and times, rulers tried to limit or ban the drinking of coffee, guided by various motives, economic, political or religious. Each time a similar pattern recurred, in which coffee, as a popular and stimulating drink, aroused the anxiety of the authorities. And each time these attempts turned out ultimately to be ineffective, because the popularity of coffee was too great. The story of the Prussian war on coffee is therefore one of many chapters of this broader tale. It shows how coffee constantly eluded attempts at control and conquered the world despite obstacles. It is a universal lesson about the power of a popular drink and the limits of authority in imposing consumption habits. Regardless of the methods, from coffee sniffers to monopolies, coffee came out victorious each time, strengthening its position as one of the most popular drinks in the history of humanity.
What this story teaches us
The story of Frederick the Greats war on coffee is more than a colorful curiosity. It is a tale of the tension between the authorities and a popular drink, of the economic motives of policy and of the limits of control over peoples habits. It shows how far the authorities were willing to go to limit the drinking of coffee and what peculiar methods were used, such as the coffee sniffers. It also makes us realize that attempts to ban popular drinks rarely end in success, because the power of social attachment can be insurmountable. For the coffee lover it is a reminder of what a turbulent history this drink has and how many attempts to limit it it survived. Coffee, despite the wars declared on it by rulers, invariably conquered the world. This story is also a lesson that people value the freedom to choose what they drink and can defend their habits despite pressure. Frederick the Greats war on coffee is a colorful example of how a drink can turn out to be stronger than the determination of even a powerful ruler.
Key takeaways
In the second half of the eighteenth century the Prussian king Frederick the Great declared war on coffee, proclaiming in a famous manifesto that his subjects were to drink beer instead of coffee. The motives were mainly economic, namely the fear of an outflow of money from the country to import coffee and the desire to support local breweries. To enforce the policy the king appointed coffee sniffers, tracking down illegal roasting by smell, and introduced a monopoly on roasting. Even so, the war turned out to be lost, because coffee was too popular. It is one of many failed chapters of the authorities fight against coffee. If you enjoy such stories and want to taste coffee thoughtfully, keep your tasting journal in GustoNote.