Gingerbread has been baked in an unassuming courtyard in the 20th arrondissement for almost 100 years. The team works with a lot of love and dedication on the Christmas tree and star figures. The gingerbread city par excellence is Nuremberg. But few people know that Vienna also has its own gingerbread factory.
Robert Kammerer’s ancestors founded their first Lebzelterei in 1830 in the Waldviertel, before his grandfather finally moved in 1938 to Dammstraße 39 in Vienna’s 20th district. The gingerbread and chocolate factory has been located in this courtyard ever since. In 2001 Robert Kammerer took over the company from his father. “Actually, I wanted to become an IT technician, but your own business is your own business,” he says when visiting the “Krone”.
Children have to help
There are currently 16 employees working on the sweet treats and there are vendors at the Christmas market on Rathausplatz and on Maria-Theresien-Platz, where Kammerer offers its products for sale. Although the master confectioner makes gingerbread all year round, for example for the Prater or Oktoberfest, Christmas is the most laborious time. “My two children are also helping at the moment,” smiles the 43-year-old, who works about 110 hours a week during Advent.
Every day, up to 400 kilos of gingerbread are decorated, baked and packaged – plus foam cups and chocolate lice.
The past few years have been difficult
De Wener is happy that things are going so well again. The years of the pandemic were difficult. “For the first time, we had to throw away products. If we had also had to pay rent, we would not have survived,” he says.
Some products are always sold out
So there is a lot of gratitude – for the fact that some products are currently sold out. And what is Kammerer’s favorite gingerbread character? “The fir tree.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
