Bread Factory

I’ll start with a Google translation from German into English of this site: Vienna History Wiki – Ankerbrotfabrik

Anker bread factory ( 10 , Absberggasse 35). The Viennese brothers Heinrich and Fritz Mendl, who worked in Döbling as “Commissionswarenhändler”, acquired the bankrupt company of the favorite baker Emanuel Adler ( Himberger Straße 49 10 , Keplerplatz 12]), founded on July 1, 1891 the Viennese bread – and biscuit factory Heinrich & Fritz Mendl and chose to their trademarks the anchor (symbol of the trust and the security, 1893 protected as a trademark) .On November 5, 1892, the operation was substantially expanded (36 -meter-long oven with ten ovens) and finally, moved to its present location on June 7, 1893. Around 1900, architect Friedrich Schön built the first part of the present complex with master builder Karl Michner & Josef Herzberg, which was continually expanded until 1925. In 1906, the company name was changed to “Anker”. The company soon enjoyed great popularity with its products and in 1914 employed nearly 1,300 people. In 1918, the workforce formed a “workers’ army” to protect the factory, and in 1922 it was converted into a family working group (Fritz Mendl, president until his death in 1929), producing pasta in 1931. In the 1930s Advertising slogan “What does the Viennese look forward to when they come from their holidays? On high spring water and anchor bread” they are well known. In 1938 the business was aryanized, in 1939 a strike was called against the equalization of payroll tax on the higher German tax, which was terminated by the Gestapo; During the Second World War , various resistance groups formed in the Ankerbrotfabrik ( memorial plaque in the courtyard). After reconstruction, the factory began innovating marketing in the 1950s, paying attention to public health issues as well (inclusion of seed bread and wholegrain bread in the production range). The share capital was held until 1969 by the Mendlschen heirs, 1969-1981 of the Schoeller group. The stagnation that has been recognizable since the mid-1960s led to the merger in 1970 with the second largest Viennese bread factory, also owned by Schoeller’s industrial group, the Hammerbrotwerke (parent company in the 21st district), the “Vereinigte Nahrungsmittel Industrie Arbeitsgemeinschaft”, which, however, did not bring any fundamental improvement In the 1970s, the number of staff was reduced from around 3,000 to around 1,900, and the Floridsdorfer company was closed down.In 1981, the owners decided to sell to the former Supervisory Board member Dr. Helmut Schuster, who founded a GmbH with his brother Gerhard and innovate in the In 1984, the old name of the company (Anker-Arbeitsgemeinschaft) was reactivated, but the design of the symbol was changed in 1985. In 1987, the company received the Austrian Marketing Prize, and by the end of 1990 there were 270 branches, which gradually received a modern design n; it employed about 300 bakers and 250 breadwomen in delivery. The new corporate concept led to a recognizable upswing of the long-established company.

Actually my idea was to show some interior details of the restaurant in the Bread Factory….It has its own website as Magdas Kantine and as part of the Bread Factory

The fun part is that they used a couple of old panelled doors both to separate seating possibilities but also as a background to benches in another corner.

The Anker Bread factory is worth a visit apart from the canteen as it has several modern art venues in the complex.