Jahrestreffen in Essen 2026

The 2026 WSU Annual Meeting took place with approximately 60 participants. Our members traveled to Essen from 16 countries.
For our attendees—and also for those who unfortunately couldn’t make it—here’s a recap featuring brief reports, memorable moments, and beautiful photos!

A Look Behind the Scenes – Visiting the Largest Mineral Water Plant in North Rhine-Westphalia
On Friday morning, our excursion set out from Essen to Duisburg-Walsum to visit RheinfelsQuellen, part of the Hövelmann Beverage Group. The family-owned company bottles well-known brands at three locations. Rheinfels Quelle, Römerwall, Burgwallbronn, Sinalco (lemonade), and Staal are produced in Duisburg and Fachingen, while the regional Ardey Quelle is bottled at the Dortmund site.
Once there, we delved deeply into the company’s history, marketing, and product lines. Before three guided tours (two in German, one in English) of the state-of-the-art production facilities began, there was plenty of time to sample products from the three locations. The Duisburg mineral waters, all sourced from the same 530-hectare Rheinaue Walsum nature reserve, were fascinating and allowed us to taste 25,000 years of geological history from a depth of 250–300 meters.
To preserve the nature reserve—an idyllic floodplain landscape of white willows and orchard meadows—the company works closely with BUND and NABU (two of the largest and best-known environmental and nature conservation organizations in Germany) . With great success! Storks have returned to the area, and even a pair of white-tailed eagles is nesting here for the first time in the Ruhr region. Our successful outing came to a perfect close with a group lunch and good conversation at the Urfels Brewery in Walsum.

Good luck! Excursion to the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site in Essen
Afterward, we took the bus to Zollverein in Essen. The guided tour there through what was once the world’s largest hard coal mine was a real highlight.
Amid gigantic machines and rust-red steel beams, we followed our guide along the “Path of Coal.” The tour took us from the massive coal washing plant through the impressive coking plant and up to the roof of the coal washing plant. From up there, we would normally have enjoyed a breathtaking panoramic view, but on this day, drizzle and fog prevented us from seeing it. Nevertheless, we could see how nature was reclaiming the site bit by bit. The contrast between the monumental industrial architecture from the 1930s and nature was striking. The guided tour was a journey through time that brought the miners’ hard work to life while also showing how industry gives rise to vibrant culture.
After a cozy dinner at “The Mine” restaurant at Zollverein, we headed back to our hotel.

Annual General Meeting

And as is the case every year, the annual meeting naturally included the annual general meeting (AGM). This year marked the 15th time it was held at the Essener Hof.

We looked back on the past association year, discussed current projects, and, as scheduled, elected the board of directors.

Jens Bunzel was re-elected as 1st Chair for another four years, thus entering his third term. Gerlinde Mock, as 2nd Chair, and founding member Joachim Kuppert, as assessor, will also continue their work.
New to the board is Bärbel Graf as second assessor. As a self-employed water sommelier, she supports the board with fresh perspectives and a strong connection to real-world practice.

Dr. Peter Schropp continues to play a central role in the association’s day-to-day work. Since the WSU’s founding in 2011, he has served the association as its managing director. In addition, he has established and significantly advanced the water sommelier training program at the Doemens Academy both nationally and internationally.

We thank our members for their trust and look forward to the next four years.

Presentations: Mineral Water Celebration Day 2026

After lunch, the program continued with four presentations by experts.

Maik Hünefeld (Association of German Mineral Springs (VDM), Managing Director of GFF)
Presentation: “Everyone Drinks Mineral Water?! Consumer Perceptions of This Natural Product”

Frank Stieldorf (Managing Director of the Quality Association for Organic Mineral Water)
Presentation: “The Organic Mineral Water Seal: The Guidelines and Goals of the Quality Association for Organic Mineral Water”

Patricia Fosselard (Secretary General, Natural Mineral Waters Europe)
Presentation: “Overview of the most important projects of Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE)”

Dr. Peter Schropp (Doemens Academy GmbH, Managing Director of WSU)
Presentation: “The History of Carbonation in Mineral Water”

Many thanks to the speakers for their active support!
Between the presentations, attendees had the opportunity to taste 11 different mineral and medicinal waters from the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate and learn interesting details about these springs.

Following the presentations, members were able to participate in sensory exercises led by Dr. Peter Schropp, Gerlinde Mock, and Joachim Kuppert to test their sensory skills.

We look forward to presenting more interesting presentations next year as well. If you’d like to give a short presentation yourself, please contact the office!
We appreciate every contribution from our members!

Our annual meeting has once again shown that mineral water brings people together! For us at the WSU, it remains a true labor of love to share knowledge about our most valuable natural product, to bring its fascinating diversity to life, and to work together to protect our resources. Nature, enjoyment, continuing education, and responsibility—that’s what drives us.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make this meeting an unforgettable experience!