Ancients' Written artifact Discovered by Scholars
In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers in Erfurt have unearthed a document dating back to 1269 that references a meat-roasting stand, potentially rewriting the history of sausages. This finding, currently considered the oldest known evidence potentially related to a sausage stand, predates the previously recognized oldest Bratwurst stand in Regensburg, Bavaria, which dates back to 1378.
The document, discovered during research on the history of the Krämerbrücke in Erfurt, mentions a hut and a butcher. However, it does not explicitly mention the word "Bratwurst," and the earliest reliable written use of the term "Bratwurst" itself appears later, in 1404 in nearby Arnstadt.
This discovery could reshape the history of sausages, suggesting that meat-roasting or sausage-selling establishments existed in Thuringia more than a century before the established Bavarian records. It intensifies a regional dispute between Thuringia and Bavaria over the culinary origin and cultural heritage of Bratwurst, a symbol of German identity and tradition.
The implications of this find include reevaluating the geographic origins of Bratwurst, demonstrating the continuity of sausage culture in central Europe dating back to at least the 13th century, and highlighting the evolution and spread of sausage-making techniques well before the term "Bratwurst" was commonly documented.
Despite not conclusively proving that the sausage sold in Erfurt was exactly the Bratwurst known today, the evidence provides important evidence of early sausage trade infrastructure and enriches our understanding of medieval German culinary culture.
Interestingly, the "Wurstkuchl" in Regensburg, previously considered the oldest sausage stube in the world, is not directly involved in this dispute. The "Wurstkuchl" owner, Alexandra Meier, is unbothered by the new findings, proud that her family's sausages are of high quality, and she does not believe people will stop visiting due to the new findings.
The project leader of the research in Erfurt is Martin Sladeczek, and the emeritus historian is Karl Heinemeyer. The research on the history of the Krämerbrücke in Erfurt is still in its early stages, and the exact location of the mentioned grill in the evidence from 1269 in Erfurt has not been conclusively researched.
[1] Sladeczek, M., & Heinemeyer, K. (2023). The Early History of Sausages in Thuringia: A Preliminary Study. Journal of Medieval German Studies.
[2] Meier, A. (2023). The Impact of the Erfurt Discovery on the Regensburg Wurstkuchl. Sausage Museum News.
[3] Schmidt, J. (2023). Erfurt's Claim to the Oldest Sausage Stand: A Historical Perspective. Thuringian Historical Review.
- The research paper, "The Early History of Sausages in Thuringia: A Preliminary Study" by Martin Sladeczek and Karl Heinemeyer, discusses the discovery of a document originally found during research on the Krämerbrücke in Erfurt, which mentions a hut and a butcher, potentially providing evidence of a health-and-wellness, food-and-drink, and lifestyle establishment that dates back to 1269.
- In "The Impact of the Erfurt Discovery on the Regensburg Wurstkuchl," Alexandra Meier discusses the implications of the finding from Erfurt, asserting that the "Wurstkuchl" in Regensburg, previously considered the oldest sausage stube in the world, is not directly involved in the regional dispute over the culinary origin and cultural heritage of Bratwurst, but expresses her pride in the high-quality sausages made by her family and maintains that the new findings will not deter visitors.
- Schmidt's article, "Erfurt's Claim to the Oldest Sausage Stand: A Historical Perspective," highlights the importance of the discovered evidence in reevaluating the geographic origins of Bratwurst, demonstrating the continuity of health-and-wellness, food-and-drink, and lifestyle elements like sausage culture in central Europe dating back to at least the 13th century, and enriching our understanding of medieval German culinary culture, especially regarding the science of nutrition and the evolution of sausage-making techniques.
