Name: Theophil Roniger
Born: 1844 in Magden, Switzerland.
Died: 1913
Children: (w. Alice Blatt) Adolf, Alice, Emil, Theophil
Biographical Highlights:
Grew up on a small farm in Madgen (Aargau). Started a brewing appreticeship in 1862 with a Broglin in Saeckingen, staying there for 2 winters. In the summer of 1864 he moved to Ulm (Germany) to further his brewing apprentiship. He continued his travels, working at different breweries in Germany unitl the spring of 1867. This included a position near Schweinefurt and in Frankenthal. He was pretty close to the front lines of the 1866 war between Prussia and Austria (Bavaria was aligned with Austria). Emil recounts a funny story in his book, where apparently the young brewer was being chased by soldiers up a hill who wanted the beer he was pulling by horse. He told the soldiers they could have the beer at the top of the hill, since it would be too hard for the horses to stop on the slope. When he reached the top however, he gave the horse the whip, and escaped from the soldiers. Overall the brewing apprenticeship was a hard time though. Theophil had to carry very heavy loads, and work incredible hours (3 AM to 8 PM of hard labour). In any case, he returned to Magden in the spring of 1867 to start his own brewery at his fathers restaurant, the "Sonne" in Magden.

Most of Theophils siblings died early of TB: Adele on April 2nd 1871, Karoline on the August 16th, 1873, Maria Magdalena on March 11th 1878, and Friedrich on July 11th 1880.

Theophil continued operating the brewery at the Sonne until 1875. In this year however he is approached by a Johann Wuetherich who would like to start a brewery in Rheinfelden, and so the Feldschloesschen is founded. Wuetherich provided most of the early funding, and Theophil the expertise. The first beer from Feldschloesschen is sold in March of 1876. Mathias Wuetherich (son of Johann) operates the farm, while Theophil runs the brewery. In October 1879 Theophil marries Alice Blatt, and moves into her fathers home. Theophil gradually aquires a larger share in the factory. In 1882 the first expansion occurs. By 1890 Theophil owns about half of the factory, and starts looking for partners to finance a major expansion. Feldschloesschen becomes a public company. Theophil continues running the factory for the rest of his life.