Intangible cultural heritage

The Bratlbraters' trade was established during the imperial era to secure an income for the war-disabled—in a similar way to the operation of tobacconist's shops. Thanks to the invention of the frankfurter sausage (‘Frankfurter Würstel’), the 19th and 20th centuries witnessed the evolution of the sausage stand culture and its free-standing units, which are an integral part of the Viennese cityscape. 

The stands' operators often run small businesses with a long-standing family history in either catering or butchery. Only through interaction with its guests does this culture come to life. This heritage relies on a mixture of people of all age groups, walks of life, and sections of the population, as this enables social exchange and proximity. This, in turn, facilitates the expression and safeguarding of both the Viennese humour (‘Wiener Schmäh’) and the typical terminology used to describe the food and drinks sold at the sausage stands. The sausage stand culture is also regularly the subject of artistic works such as photographic collections, books, and theatre productions. The constant adaptation to visitor demand, especially in culinary terms, contributes to the long-term safeguarding of the sausage stands, which have declined in number in recent years. While there were around 500 sausage stands in Vienna up to 2010, today there are around 120. 

By focussing on sustainably producing food businesses as well as safeguarding measures, such as public relations work or proposed projects like ‘the long night of sausage stands’, the aim is to enable the long-term safeguarding of the sausage stand culture. 

Downloads

• [Translate to English:] Bewerbungsmappe 1 MB (pdf)
• [Translate to English:] Expertise Girtler 1 MB (pdf)
• [Translate to English:] Expertise Wolf 3 MB (pdf)