Berlin. Currywurst comes from Berlin, right? Two authors cast doubt on the theory and present new evidence of its origin.
“For a few days now, the home of currywurst has officially ceased to be Berlin, but Duisburg,” says Tim Koch. If he and his colleague Gregor Lauenburger have their way, the history of currywurst will be rewritten become. With the publication of the book, the authors challenge Berlin for the invention of the currywurst – as the capital celebrates the sausage’s 75th anniversary.
On September 4, 1949, a lunch counter operator reportedly… in Charlottenburg Popular belief is that they invented currywurst. Herta Heuwer mixed tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, curry powder and other spices. Some say it was out of boredom, others claim Heuwer had to improvise due to a lack of mustard.
Nutrition: global success from Berlin
Whether it was a brilliant idea out of boredom or an emergency solution, she poured the sauce over a fried and chopped cooked sausage and thus created a worldwide export hit. According to estimates from the now-closed Currywurst Museum, this happens every year in the capital alone. 70 million times eaten. A memorial plaque has been hanging on Kantstraße since 2010, where Heuwers Imbiss once stood.
More on the subject
But now the spicy question of who invented the sausage has been raised again. For the book “Alles Currywurst – oder was?”, published at the end of August by Klartext Verlag, authors Tim Koch and Gregor Lauenburger investigated voices according to which the place of invention was actually in Ruhr region lies. If you believe them, the history of currywurst will probably have to be rewritten.
Where does currywurst come from? New evidence uncovered
“The story is settled. For a few days now, the home of currywurst has officially ceased to be Berlin, but Duisburg,” says Tim Koch, summarizing his research to the Morgenpost. The snack bar “Peter Pomms Puszetten-Stube” in Duisburg-Marxloh has long been advertising with the slogan “Currywurst – since 1936”. Koch and his co-author Gregor Lauenburger contacted the owners of the book. “After many conversations, we were able to browse through the family albums,” says Koch.
The two currywurst lovers find crucial evidence in the documents of the owner’s family: Peter Hildebrand, father-in-law of the current owner of the “Pusztetten-Stube”, ordered “English-style curry powder” in the mid-1930s. “The Hamburg spice factory still exists; it was able to confirm that curry powder was delivered to us at that time. It used to be thought that it was the British occupation soldiers Curry powder brought to Germany,” says Koch. But the proof of delivery and the reports of contemporary witnesses convince him: “That is more proof than all the other cities put together.”
From Duisburg to Berlin
So why didn’t currywurst cause a sensation back then? Koch has an explanation for this: “As a Dutch immigrant, Peter Hildebrand was obviously unable to advertise his invention loudly in Germany in the late 1930s. And the term “English-style curry powder” was also in use in the Nazi erato say the least, is not welcome.”
Fear of arbitrary action by the authorities made it impossible for Hildebrand to market it before the war, Koch and Lauenburger write in their book. It was only after the war that the marketing of currywurst began in Duisburg. From a “Triumph of currywurst“ write the authors, which started in Duisburg and quickly reached Berlin.
Does currywust come from the north?
In addition to Duisburg and Berlin, other places have claimed the invention of currywurst in the past, such as Bückeburg near Hanover. It is claimed that currywurst was invented in the kitchen of the royal family’s Schaumburg-Lippe castle, three years before Herta Heuwer’s invention. After the war, a master chef is said to have prepared a sauce made of apricot jam, tomato ketchup, curry and salt for officers of the British Army of the Rhine, which could be considered a precursor to currywurst.
The origins of currywurst could be even further north, if Uwe Timm is to be believed. In 1947, the writer claims to have eaten currywurst in his hometown of Hamburg. In his well-known 1993 novel “The Discovery of Currywurst,” he invented the story of a diner owner who accidentally mixes the ingredients curry and ketchup when she falls. The book became a Best-seller and even turned into a film.
Things quickly get emotional when it comes to currywurst
Hertha Heuwer heard the controversy over currywurst before her death in 1999. “I have the patent, that’s it!” she said. “Anyone who claims otherwise is right.” In fact, in 1958 she had only trademarked “ChillUp”—a combination of “chili” and “ketchup.” patent There was never a recipe, so the exact proportion of the sauce ingredients would have been known.
On the 75th anniversary of Herta Heuwer’s curry sauce, author Koch finds conciliatory words: “Herta Heuwer made a splash and made currywurst famous.” Let the matter be quickly resolved. emotionally Koch, who himself founded a currywurst chain, knows: “This combination of currywurst with love, passion and home is something special. However, based on our research, there has not yet been any hostility from Berlin. We cannot avoid history, so we should always talk about currywurst with a wink.”
One last question: Will there be a big celebration in Duisburg in 2026 for the 90th anniversary of currywurst? “There are actually discussions about setting up something in two years,” says currywurst expert Koch proudly. “The Berliners are there too.” warmly invited.”
with KNA and dpa