Café Gerbeaud
Encyclopedia
----
Café Gerbeaud, situated at Vörösmarty tér 7 in Budapest
, the capital of Hungary
, is one of the greatest and most traditional coffeehouse
s in Europe. Today still, it shines in Gründerzeit
style with its stucco
, the grand chandelier
s, the panelling made of exotic woods and its furniture. In 2009 Café Gerbeaud opened its second confectionery in Tokyo
, Japan
.
ship in eleven European capitals including Paris. After that he opened a confectionery at József Nádor place which was soon accounted for as one of the best in Pest. Among the specialities were Chinese and Russian tea specialities as well as his ice creations which were soon named “the best ice in Pest”.
In order to be closer to the city center, Kugler in 1870 moved the store to Vörösmarty tér. The customers of that time most favoured his coffees, liqueurs and candy. But Kugler Pies and Mignons were also well known, because for the first time it was possible to take them home, wrapped on a paper tray. Known guests were, among others, Ferenc Deák
and Franz Liszt
.
In 1882 while travelling Paris, Kugler first met Emil Gerbeaud and immediately recognized his talent and spirit of enterprise. 1884 Kugler finally invited him to Budapest to declare him to his associate. Later, Gerbeaud took over Kuglers store piece by piece and retained the original name.
Emil Gerbeaud, who was descended from a confectionary family, was born in Geneva
and gained his experience in Germany, France and England. He performed a number of innovations, e.g. by expanding the selection with numerous products like butter creams, Parisian crèmes, hundreds of kinds of short cakes, candy and kirsch candy. To offer this broad palette to his clientele, he hired a number of employees for sales and service. By the end of 1899, he had about 150 employees, many of whom only came to Budapest to learn and work with Gerbeaud. Due to his sense of business, by and by he equipped the bakery with modern machinery. Thus, the name Gerbeaud became a Synonym for quality and bakery art. Since his clientele loved the paper boxes for takeaway pies that were already introduced by Henrik Kugler, Gerbeaud continued with this tradition and started to design these himself.
Gerbeaud was also internationally acclaimed. He was invited a jury member both to the Brussels world fair (1898) and the Paris world fair
(1900), whereat in Paris he was awarded the Legion of Honour
. He was further awarded numerous national and international prizes.
Eventually, Henrik Kugler died, whereupon Gerbeaud founded a public company named ‘Kuglers Nachfolger Gerbeaud AG’ (Kuglers Successor Gerbeaud PLC) to carry on the business. Since Gerbeaud set value on modern working conditions, he used automobiles alongside horse carriages from 1909 on.
For the interior design of his confectionery, Gerbeaud in 1910 took advice from Henrik Darilek who mainly used marble, exotic woods and bronce. The ceiling's stucco was created in the Rokoko style of Louis XIV of France
. The chandeliers were inspired by Maria Theresa of Austria
. The guests were offered as French tables as well as secessionist ones which Gerbeaud had delivered from the world fair in Paris. But World War I was felt but the company survived even that.
Gerbeaud died the 8th of November, 1919, and willed the store to his wife Ester who headed it until 1940. The shop retained the name “Gerbeaud” ever since, except for the time between 1950 and March, 1984, when it was renamed “Vörösmarty”. In 1995, German businessman Erwin Franz Müller bought the confectionery and had it renovated extensively. The traces of the last 50 years have thus disappeared, and today the Café shines in the style as built by Emil Gerbeaud.
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, the capital of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, is one of the greatest and most traditional coffeehouse
Coffeehouse
A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
s in Europe. Today still, it shines in Gründerzeit
Gründerzeit
' refers to the economic phase in 19th century Germany and Austria before the great stock market crash of 1873. At this time in Central Europe the age of industrialisation was taking place, whose beginnings were found in the 1840s...
style with its stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
, the grand chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
s, the panelling made of exotic woods and its furniture. In 2009 Café Gerbeaud opened its second confectionery in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
History
The company was started in 1858 by Henrik Kugler, the third child of a confectionery dynasty. He acquired his knowledge and experience mostly during his journeymanJourneyman
A journeyman is someone who completed an apprenticeship and was fully educated in a trade or craft, but not yet a master. To become a master, a journeyman had to submit a master work piece to a guild for evaluation and be admitted to the guild as a master....
ship in eleven European capitals including Paris. After that he opened a confectionery at József Nádor place which was soon accounted for as one of the best in Pest. Among the specialities were Chinese and Russian tea specialities as well as his ice creations which were soon named “the best ice in Pest”.
In order to be closer to the city center, Kugler in 1870 moved the store to Vörösmarty tér. The customers of that time most favoured his coffees, liqueurs and candy. But Kugler Pies and Mignons were also well known, because for the first time it was possible to take them home, wrapped on a paper tray. Known guests were, among others, Ferenc Deák
Ferenc Deák
Ferenc Deák de Kehida , , was a Hungarian statesman and Minister of Justice. He was known as "The Wise Man of the Nation".-Early life and law career:...
and Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
.
In 1882 while travelling Paris, Kugler first met Emil Gerbeaud and immediately recognized his talent and spirit of enterprise. 1884 Kugler finally invited him to Budapest to declare him to his associate. Later, Gerbeaud took over Kuglers store piece by piece and retained the original name.
Emil Gerbeaud, who was descended from a confectionary family, was born in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and gained his experience in Germany, France and England. He performed a number of innovations, e.g. by expanding the selection with numerous products like butter creams, Parisian crèmes, hundreds of kinds of short cakes, candy and kirsch candy. To offer this broad palette to his clientele, he hired a number of employees for sales and service. By the end of 1899, he had about 150 employees, many of whom only came to Budapest to learn and work with Gerbeaud. Due to his sense of business, by and by he equipped the bakery with modern machinery. Thus, the name Gerbeaud became a Synonym for quality and bakery art. Since his clientele loved the paper boxes for takeaway pies that were already introduced by Henrik Kugler, Gerbeaud continued with this tradition and started to design these himself.
Gerbeaud was also internationally acclaimed. He was invited a jury member both to the Brussels world fair (1898) and the Paris world fair
Exposition Universelle (1900)
The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from April 15 to November 12, 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next...
(1900), whereat in Paris he was awarded the Legion of Honour
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
. He was further awarded numerous national and international prizes.
Eventually, Henrik Kugler died, whereupon Gerbeaud founded a public company named ‘Kuglers Nachfolger Gerbeaud AG’ (Kuglers Successor Gerbeaud PLC) to carry on the business. Since Gerbeaud set value on modern working conditions, he used automobiles alongside horse carriages from 1909 on.
For the interior design of his confectionery, Gerbeaud in 1910 took advice from Henrik Darilek who mainly used marble, exotic woods and bronce. The ceiling's stucco was created in the Rokoko style of Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
. The chandeliers were inspired by Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
. The guests were offered as French tables as well as secessionist ones which Gerbeaud had delivered from the world fair in Paris. But World War I was felt but the company survived even that.
Gerbeaud died the 8th of November, 1919, and willed the store to his wife Ester who headed it until 1940. The shop retained the name “Gerbeaud” ever since, except for the time between 1950 and March, 1984, when it was renamed “Vörösmarty”. In 1995, German businessman Erwin Franz Müller bought the confectionery and had it renovated extensively. The traces of the last 50 years have thus disappeared, and today the Café shines in the style as built by Emil Gerbeaud.