Eckart Witzigmann

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eckart Witzigmann (2008)

Eckart Witzigmann (born July 4, 1941 in Hohenems , Vorarlberg ) is an Austrian cook , restaurateur and cookbook author . He established French nouvelle cuisine in Germany in the 1970s and developed it further.

With that he founded a new school of cooking in the German-speaking area; Many of his former employees are now part of the first cooks' guard themselves. He is therefore regarded as one of the most influential chefs in German-speaking countries.

Life

Early years

Eckart Witzigmann in 2008 in what was then the three-star restaurant Aubergine in Munich

He grew up in Bad Gastein and completed an apprenticeship as a chef at the Straubinger Hotel with Ludwig Scheibenpflug from 1957 to 1960. After he had to repeat the journeyman's examination, he worked in numerous positions in top kitchens around the world.

From the Grand Hotel Axelmannstein in Bad Reichenhall , the Schlosshotel Pontresina in Pontresina , the Hotel Petersberg in Koenigswinter in Bonn , the Villars Palace in Switzerland , the Hotel National in Davos and the Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz of the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Bad Ragaz led him his way to the Haeberlin brothers in Illhäusern in Alsace in 1965 . Their Auberge de l'Ill was a turning point in his career as a chef, as they were the first to approach nouvelle cuisine, which was still unknown in Germany at the time .

This was followed by activities with Paul Bocuse , Roger Vergé and the brothers Michel and Pierre Troisgros . Other stations outside France included the Operakällaren in Stockholm , the Cafe Royal in London , the Villa Lorraine in Brussels and the Jockey Club in Washington, USA. His ascent in top German gastronomy began in 1971 as head chef in the Munich restaurant Tantris , for which he cooked his first Michelin star in 1973 and his second in 1974, the highest distinction in Germany at the time.

"Aubergine" (1978–1995)

In 1978 he opened his own Aubergine restaurant on Munich's Maximiliansplatz in the Regina house . In 1979 it was the first German restaurant to be awarded three stars in the Michelin Guide 1980. The restaurant retained the award for 15 years until it closed in late 1994.

In March 1993, Witzigmann was sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence for cocaine possession . Shortly afterwards, the license for the aubergine was revoked, which Alfons Schuhbeck took over. Despite the culinary reputation and high capacity utilization of the aubergine, Witzigmann failed to achieve great economic success, as 18 cooks worked for a maximum of 45 guests at times.

Since 1995

Since giving up the aubergine, Witzigmann has worked as a management consultant in the catering industry, cookbook author and leader of cooking courses. He is also the editor of the gourmet magazine apéro . In his more than 40 cookbooks, he has partly worked with other prominent chefs or TV chefs , such as Alfred Biolek or Tim Mälzer .

From 1997 to 2001 he went to Mallorca with his student Roland Trettl , where he supported him in setting up the Ca's Puers restaurant . Witzigmann designed and advised the Ikarus restaurant in Hangar-7 at Salzburg Airport . Here too, Roland Trettl was Executive Chef from 2003 to 2013. International chefs are required as guest chefs at the Ikarus every month.

Since 2004, the Eckart Witzigmann Prize has been awarded annually to personalities who have made a special contribution to cooking and eating culture.

Until the end of 2005 he hosted around 150,000 guests in the Witzigmann Palazzo, which went on tour in various cities. These were each offered a multi-course dinner with shows and actors, who involved the guests in an interactive play. The follow-up project, the “Witzigmann-Roncalli-Bajazzo”, lasted until 2008.

"An economically successful top kitchen is squaring the circle."

- Eckart Witzigmann (2018)

In 2019, Eckart Witzigmann appeared for the first time as a juror in the German version of the TV show Top Chef on Sat.1 .

Private

Eckart Witzigmann was married to Monika Witzigmann, who received the guests in the Aubergine restaurant until they separated in 1988. His daughter Véronique (* 1970) is an author and runs a company that sells spreads and delicatessen products, and his son Max (* 1974) works as a journalist.

For several years now, his partner has been Nicola Schnelldorfer, daughter of Manfred Schnelldorfer .

Honors

In 1994 Gault-Millau awarded him the Chef of the Century award , which until now has only been given to Paul Bocuse , Joël Robuchon and Frédy Girardet .

In February 2007 Witzigmann was promoted to professor and Dr. appointed honorary to the Swedish University of Örebro , the only state gastronomy university in Europe. Witzigmann holds the title of “Professeur de la Cuisine” at the restaurant academy there in Grythyttan. From 2007 to 2010 he was President of the German Academy for Culinary Studies .

The New York Times honored him with the title “Chef of Kings and Gods”, not least due to the fact that he worked for numerous crowned heads, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip , King Hassan of Morocco , King Harald of Norway , King Carl-Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden and the Maharajah of Jaipur . Among the admirers of his culinary art are Presidents Mikhail Gorbachev , George Bush and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing .

In 2003 the French breeder Delbard named a rose after him. He was the first Austrian to receive this honor.

Awards

Student (selection)

  • Further:
    • Frank Heppner

Publications

literature

Movies
  • Eckart Witzigmann - My life. Documentary film, Austria, Germany, 2010, 45 min, script and director: Lutz Reitemeier , production: avanti media, ZDF , arte , first broadcast: August 29, 2010 on arte, film information from ARD .
  • A guest at the Ikarus. Eckart Witzigmann presents top chefs in Hangar 7 in Salzburg. Report series, Austria, 2009ff., 24 min, production: ServusTV , website from ServusTV.
  • Eckart Witzigmann - the chef of the century. Documentary, Germany, 2008, 60 min Written and directed by Mica Stobwasser, production: mega heart , movie pool, BR , Row: heads in Bavaria, Summary of mega heart with video excerpt.
  • Witzigmann's cooks. TV report, Germany, 2007, 30 min, script and director: Michaele Scherenberg, production: hr , film information from ARD. ( Memento from January 31, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
    “The crème de la crème of the top German and Austrian chefs meets at Witzigmann & Roncalli Bajazzo Frankfurt. It is about the 2007 culinary selection, with Eckart Witzigmann, Harald Wohlfahrt , Dieter Müller , Johann Lafer and Juan Amador . For the first time, the Roncalli's secret four-course menu is being revealed and prepared in front of cameras. "
  • Culinary trip around the world. Chefs around the world. Report series in twelve parts, Austria, 2006, 25 min, production: ORF , film information from fernsehserien.de.
  • Dinner on the steamer with Eckart Witzigmann. TV report, Germany, 2006, 14 min, script and direction: Denise J. Blasczok and Stefan Quante, production: WDR , series: Die kulinarische Reportage, film information from ARD .

Web links

Commons : Eckart Witzigmann  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikiquote: Eckart Witzigmann  - Quotes

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bernd Matthies: Top cuisine: Topfs Schlager. In: Der Tagesspiegel , November 20, 2009, accessed October 5, 2011
  2. ^ "Kässpätzle from Tante Fanny." In: Vorarlberg Online , July 9, 2008, interview
  3. ↑ Article in golfwelt online from November 26th 2010: "I never give up" - Chef of the century Eckart Witzigmann: The life of an artist . Retrieved September 25, 2013 ( Memento of September 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ Eva Gesine Baur : Hamlet at the stove. The life of Eckart Witzigmann. 2006, p. 49
  5. ↑ portrait Witzigmann's rollingpin.de on the Gastro site: The mother of all chefs . Retrieved September 24, 2013
  6. ↑ tagesspiegel.de: Topfs Schlager
  7. ^ Eva Gesine Baur: Hamlet at the stove. The life of Eckart Witzigmann . 2006, p. 180
  8. ↑ Manager Magazin: Conductor of the saucepans
  9. ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung: Teacher of TV cooks
  10. ↑ Focus: Gastronomy: An artist hands over the spoon, accessed on September 23, 2013
  11. ↑ zeit.de: Truffle out, kitchen closed
  12. ↑ apero-magazin.de
  13. ↑ welt.de: Witzigmanns Mallorca
  14. ↑ eckart-witzigmann-preis.de: The price
  15. ^ Eva Gesine Baur: Hamlet at the stove. The life of Eckart Witzigmann. 2006, p. 206
  16. ↑ Christian Mayer: End of the cooking show. Witzigmann moves out of his palazzo ( Memento from June 3, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , January 26, 2006
  17. ↑ restaurant-ranglisten.de: Eckart Witzigmann considers successful top cuisine to be the square of the circle
  18. ↑ https://www.sat1.de/tv/top-chef-germany/juroren
  19. ^ Books.google.de: Franz Brandl: Der Barmixer: Memories of a crazy life.
  20. ↑ Breakfast with three stars . Report in the Welt am Sonntag of May 27, 2007, accessed on September 23, 2013.
  21. ↑ nikos-weinwelten.de: Book review: The first Ma (h) l
  22. ↑ tz.de: The hit of my life
  23. ↑ Eckart Witzigmann Rose. Retrieved January 19, 2020 .
  24. ↑ du / rr: Honor for star chef Witzigmann. In: City of Vienna, January 29, 2007
  25. ↑ APA : Witzigmann is a “culinary ambassador”. In: Die Presse on January 11, 2011
  26. ↑ warsteiner-preis.de: Prize Winner 2012
  27. ↑ km.bayern.de: Science and Art Minister Dr. Spaenle awards Eckart Witzigmann with the "Pro meritis scientiae et litterarum" award
  28. ^ Lower Rhine Economic Forum
  29. ↑ Frank Heppner leaves the Villa Flora (August 2, 2003)
personal data
SURNAME Witzigmann, Eckart
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian cook
DATE OF BIRTH 4th July 1941
PLACE OF BIRTH Hohenems , Vorarlberg