In 1636, Utrecht was in a fierce competition with the neighboring city of Amersfoort over which town would get the shiny new university. Utrecht won, but winning the rights was only half the battle. Now they had to convince actual students to show up.
So the city council made a move that any student today would appreciate: they scrapped the taxes on beer and wine. And this was not just a party trick. Beer in the 16th and 17th century was genuinely safer to drink than water. It was boiled during brewing, which killed off the nasties lurking in the local canals, and it carried real nutritional value. Drinking beer was basically responsible behavior.
The plan worked beautifully. Students flooded into Utrecht, filling the lecture halls and the taverns in equal measure. The city thrived, and Utrecht grew its reputation as a serious place of learning.
Eventually, the city council reversed the decision. You can probably piece together why: a university full of tax-free drinkers sounds wonderful until you are the one trying to keep order at nine in the morning on a Tuesday.
Sources. Story: dub.uu.nl Photos: Het Utrechts Archief
