Altmann & Kühne
Encyclopedia
Altmann & Kühne is a confiserie
in Vienna
, Austria
, established in 1928. It produces handmade chocolates and bonbon
s with a special packaging designed by Wiener Werkstätte
. It is located in the Innere Stadt
, at Graben
30.
, successfully grew during the interwar period
. It expanded to three downtown locations. The flagship store on the Graben
featured a novel modernist facade designed by Josef Hofmann. It survived to date and is a listed building. Inside the store, the chocolates packages featured modernist designs by the artists of Wiener Werkstätte
school.
By the time of the Anschluss
of 1938, Altmann and Kühne was Vienna's fourth chocolatier - a "smaller but upscale producer" trailing after the "big three" of Victor Schmidt, Heller and Küfferle. After the Nazi takeover Emile Altmann and Ernst Kühne, who were Jewish, fled to New York City. The business survived through the Nazi years and World War II owing to the persistence of their employee, Mrs. Mercek.
regularly listed Altmann and Kuhne chocolates on its Easter shopping lists. Betsy Wade of The New York Times recounted in 1987: "... those chocolates in European-looking packages: the coffee beans for the adults - in theory at least - and the cats' tongues, finger-length spatulas of bittersweet, for me and my sister." After Altmann and Kühne left the New York stage, their Fifth Avenue store was rebranded Blum and continued selling chocolates "perhaps among the finest made in this country".
Another group of former Altmann and Kühne employees who emigrated to the United States in 1938, founded the Barton's Candy Corporation, selling Continental Chocolates brand modelled after original Altmann and Kühne products. This American business eventually expanded into a chain of three thousand outlets.
Confectionery
Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, established in 1928. It produces handmade chocolates and bonbon
Bonbon
The name bonbon refers to any of several types of sweets, especially small candies enrobed in chocolate.The first reports of bonbons come from the 17th century, when they were made at the French royal court. Their name arose from infantile reduplication of the word bon, meaning 'good'...
s with a special packaging designed by Wiener Werkstätte
Wiener Werkstätte
Established in 1903, the Wiener Werkstätte was a production community of visual artists. The workshop brought together architects, artists and designers whose first commitment was to design art which would be accessible to everyone...
. It is located in the Innere Stadt
Innere Stadt
The Innere Stadt is the 1st municipal District of Vienna . The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expanded in 1850, the Innere Stadt was congruent with the city of Vienna...
, at Graben
Graben, Vienna
Der Graben is one of the most famous streets in Vienna's first district, the city centre. It begins at Stock-im-Eisen-Platz next to the Palais Equitable and ends at the junction of Kohlmarkt and Tuchlauben. Another street in the first district is called Tiefer Graben...
30.
In Vienna
The business, which advertised itself as a supplier to the former Imperial CourtHabsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
, successfully grew during the interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
. It expanded to three downtown locations. The flagship store on the Graben
Graben, Vienna
Der Graben is one of the most famous streets in Vienna's first district, the city centre. It begins at Stock-im-Eisen-Platz next to the Palais Equitable and ends at the junction of Kohlmarkt and Tuchlauben. Another street in the first district is called Tiefer Graben...
featured a novel modernist facade designed by Josef Hofmann. It survived to date and is a listed building. Inside the store, the chocolates packages featured modernist designs by the artists of Wiener Werkstätte
Wiener Werkstätte
Established in 1903, the Wiener Werkstätte was a production community of visual artists. The workshop brought together architects, artists and designers whose first commitment was to design art which would be accessible to everyone...
school.
By the time of the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of 1938, Altmann and Kühne was Vienna's fourth chocolatier - a "smaller but upscale producer" trailing after the "big three" of Victor Schmidt, Heller and Küfferle. After the Nazi takeover Emile Altmann and Ernst Kühne, who were Jewish, fled to New York City. The business survived through the Nazi years and World War II owing to the persistence of their employee, Mrs. Mercek.
In the United States
In December 1939 established a chocolate outlet at 700, Fifth Avenue. In 1941 it was sold to an American investor and continued operating under the Austrian brand until 1958. The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
regularly listed Altmann and Kuhne chocolates on its Easter shopping lists. Betsy Wade of The New York Times recounted in 1987: "... those chocolates in European-looking packages: the coffee beans for the adults - in theory at least - and the cats' tongues, finger-length spatulas of bittersweet, for me and my sister." After Altmann and Kühne left the New York stage, their Fifth Avenue store was rebranded Blum and continued selling chocolates "perhaps among the finest made in this country".
Another group of former Altmann and Kühne employees who emigrated to the United States in 1938, founded the Barton's Candy Corporation, selling Continental Chocolates brand modelled after original Altmann and Kühne products. This American business eventually expanded into a chain of three thousand outlets.