Sausage stands an integral part of Vienna's streets

DW (English)

Vienna's sausage stands are more than a place to grab a bite — they're cultural icons. In 2024, UNESCO named them to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Transcript

00:01This place is about more than just sausages.

00:05In 2024, Vienna's sausage stands were recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

00:14A good Viennese sausage is aromatic in taste and crispy in texture.

00:21Quality? Freshly made. Austrian street food, you could say.

00:25They're rarely this good at home.

00:26The sausage stand is the place to eat them, and the quality has to be right.

00:33Viennese sausage stands are an integral part of the city and a popular meeting place.

00:39But their numbers are dwindling.

00:41In 2010, there were some 500 stands in the Austrian capital.

00:45Today, there are as few as 120.

00:50At Alles Wurst in the city center, they have at least eight distinct types of sausage.

00:57Sebastian Neuschle is the head sausage maker here.

01:01He went from high-end cuisine to street food.

01:04So, this is where the magic happens.

01:08There's barely room to turn around.

01:10Here we are.

01:12But today, we're talking about the sausage.

01:14One of my favorites, the Waldviertler, the sportsman's sausage.

01:17Low in fat, with a high meat content, and double smoked over beech wood.

01:22Let's prepare one.

01:26The key is nicely grilled, but not too much.

01:31Neatly chopped, with a dollop of spicy mustard, a little horseradish,

01:36a little horseradish, and two hot peppers.

01:45That's exactly how it's served.

01:49To work at a sausage stand, you have to be a people person.

01:52A sausage seller ought to have psychological training, like a barman.

02:01It's about the same thing.

02:03Being able to multitask is vital, because you take orders, cut the sausage, make drinks.

02:09You have the job description of a chef, a waiter, and a psychologist all at once.

02:15You should also have a penchant for cabaret.

02:18You shouldn't take everything too seriously.

02:20And you need to have some schmäh, Vienna's characteristic humor, in your banter.

02:25The so-called Bratelbrater have shaped the cityscape of Vienna since the 16th century.

02:32They had mobile stoves and sold meat and sausages to the poorer population.

02:36Back then, many of the locals didn't have kitchens in their apartments.

02:41The sausage stands of today emerged in the 1960s.

02:48Mike Lanner's sausage stand is all about authenticity, even down to the architecture of the stand itself.

02:57This one is an original Viennese sausage stand from the 1970s.

03:01They used to look like this all over the city, and there are only a few of them left.

03:04The ones that still exist are often plastered with various advertisements.

03:09To us, it's important that the stand looks just like it always did.

03:13In addition, Mike has gone organic.

03:16He even offers vegetarian and vegan sausages.

03:18We may only be a small Viennese sausage stand, but we too have to do our bit for climate and environmental protection.

03:28Organic production and sustainability is our contribution.

03:31One variety is especially popular.

03:42One sausage that's only available in Austria, I think it was invented here in the 1960s.

03:47The Käsekreine. It's a smoked sausage filled with a cheese. It's only available here, and it's our best seller.

03:55My favorite is the Käsekreine. I think it's the classic here. Nice and crispy, tastes good, and it fills you up too.

04:04I got a Käsekreine in a hot dog bun.

04:08My favorite is the Käsekreine because it contains everything I like, and it's been my go-to since I was young.

04:14So how do the Viennese feel about the UNESCO status of their sausage stands?

04:19World cultural heritage in Vienna feels really great. I couldn't imagine a Vienna without them.

04:28Vienna's sausage stands. A piece of history with a future.

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