Association of Austrian Chefs
The Association of Austrian Chefs - VKÖ (also VKOE .; Lit .: “Professional cultural professional association of Austrian chefs”; also known as “ Austrian Cooking Association”; French : Fédération de cuisiniers d'Autriche ; eng . : Austrian Association of Chefs ) is a national professional association or professional representation of chefs in Austria founded in 1902. The members of the VKÖ also belong to the World Association of Chefs Societies .
Goal setting
The purpose of the association is above all to promote the gastronomic profession of the cook, the contemporary and traditional Austrian culinary art and cultivated table culture, preservation of traditions and passing on the Austrian culinary art to the next generations. As a founding member of the World Association of Chefs Societies , the VKÖ is also dedicated to maintaining and improving the culinary standards of the world's kitchens. He wants to achieve these goals through education, training and further education of his members. He sees himself, what food and the art of preparation, as an authority and opinion maker, as well as a national voice for questions relating to the profession or training of the cook.
history
In 1884 the preliminary stage of today's still existing professional association of chefs in Austria was founded. At that time it was still the association of chefs in Vienna as the “Association of Imperial and Court Cooks”, as well as the Grand Chefs of the Ringstrasse Hotels in Vienna. The newly founded Austrian Cooking Association continued its work from 1902.
| year | comment |
|---|---|
| 1884 | Founding of the “Association of Lord and Court Chefs” and the Grand Chefs of the Ringstrasse Hotels in Vienna. |
| 1902 | In the spring the founding talks were carried out by Johann Sacher, Jean Powonda, Franz Wagner and in the summer of the same year the association was founded at the Imperial and Royal (kuk) Ministry of the Interior. 15.09 First edition and publication of the newspaper “GASTRONOM”. |
| 1903 | February 20th first Koch-Ball in the Kursalon Hübner of the City of Vienna |
| 1906-1912 | Culinary art exhibitions in the columned halls of the kuk Gartenbau Gesellschaft The book of honor (still available today) is published with the signatures of Emperor Franz Joseph and members of the court. |
| 1914-1918 | The First World War weakens the activities of the association and the collapse of the monarchy comes to a standstill. Food shortages and the lack of guests from the former crown lands contribute to this. Nevertheless, the association and its members try the chefs of Austria to make the best possible out of the scarce food and contribute significantly to the catering of the population due to their specialist knowledge and skill in creating dishes and recipes from almost nothing. |
| 1923-1924 | A prominent committee under Matthias Hofer and Alfred Blandetti from Restaurant Tischler are reviving the association. |
| 1927 | Karl Gass from the Hotel Imperial (Vienna) takes over the management of the association, Franz Ruhm the editing of the monthly association magazine “Gastronom” (he was a master of the wooden spoon and the pen). The next chairman is Hans Ziegenbein, head chef at the Krantz Ambassador in Vienna, a terrific culinary artist and cookbook author (together with Julius Eckel). Successful international exhibitions in Frankfurt am Main, Berlin and Breslau follow. |
| 1928 | From November 20-22 Three-day Austrian culinary art exhibition in the Kursalon Hübner in Vienna, opened by the Federal President. Founding of his own association home with a subsequent lecture kitchen, library and lecture hall and its own pension fund. As a founding member of the World Association of Chefs Societies, Julius Eckel represents the World Association of Cooking Associations - WACS Austria in Paris. Thus the Austrian chefs and their professional association were one of the great nations that co-founded and built up the World Association of Chefs. |
| 1930 | Eckel becomes the new chairman. The Austrian national team wins the Nations Prize at the international culinary arts exhibition in Zurich. Stefan Garreis from the Hotel Imperial follows as chairman. three-day Austrian cooking guild show in the city's Volksgarten . Great economic crisis in Europe. |
| 1931 | The 9th February annual KOCH BALL is held this time in the festival rooms of the Vienna Hofburg . The celebratory banquet will be served by the chef Schregle of the Hotel Bristol Vienna and colleagues from the association. |
| 1933 | International exhibition in the Vienna Hofburg . The association publishes “Das Buch der Kochkunst” (out of print today). Foundation of sections in the federal states. |
| 1934 | Josef Knott becomes chairman and maintains the association's activities despite great unemployment. Liquidation of the association and the entire property by the new rulers. Austrian Civil War . Much of the forbidden public life in the association continues to be carried out underground or in the background. |
| 1945 | Relaunch of the association: Franz Ruhm takes the lead. Establishment of new sections in the federal states. |
| 1948 | Karl Duch takes over the association and successfully cultivates the first international contacts after the Second World War . New association home in Kantgasse in the 1st district of Vienna. |
| 1956 | Austria takes over the presidency of the World Association of Chefs Societies under Karl Duch . Julius Eckel becomes Vice President and Ernst Faseth General Secretary. |
| 1960 | Karl Pokorny becomes president of the association and maintains international connections. |
| 1965-1979 | The triumvirate: President Ernst Faseth and Vice-Presidents Hans Hofer and Helmuth Karl Misak lead the association by building up the finances on a solid economic foundation. A building block campaign for a new association home is a success. |
| 1968 | Relocation to the new home on Philippovichgasse. Annual culinary arts exhibitions and cooking balls. Faseth is elected President of the World Association of Chefs Societies in Geneva . Franz Zimmer becomes Vice-President and General Secretary Helmuth Karl Misak. |
| 1972 | The Association of Austrian Chefs is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a great culinary art exhibition. |
| 1973 | Large international exhibition in the Hotel Vienna Intercontinental. The association is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a large international culinary art exhibition. |
| 1977-1988 | Ernst Faseth introduces the master chef examination in Vienna with the support of the Economic Development Institute. |
| 1978 | Herbert Hüpfel takes over the association. Successful recruiting of new members. Increase in the number of sections. Hüpfel brings the World Association of Chefs Societies to Vienna for the second time. |
| 1992 | 90th anniversary of the association in the Vienna City Hall. Interim President Karl Ruppert designed an internationally successful culinary art exhibition at the Vienna Exhibition Center. |
| 1993 | Karl Ruppert becomes the new president. His extraordinary merit is the redesign of the association home, which he carries out with great personal commitment. |
| 1998 | Franz Zodl is elected as the new president. The vice presidents are Hans Voldrich and Eduard Macku. |
| 2002 | 100 year celebration in the Vienna City Hall . |
| 2006 | Harald Fargel is elected as the new President. The Vice Presidents are Lothar Misak and Josef Fankhauser. |
| 2010 | Josef Fankhauser is elected President. The vice-presidents are Heinz Pinaucic and Roman Keller. |
| 2011 | European congress of the World Association of Chefs Societies in Innsbruck in September |
| 2014 | Alois Gasser is elected President. The vice-presidents are Mike P. Pansi (Chef of the Cooks 2014) and Helmut Deutsch. |
| 2015 | Foundation of the KOCH-G5 group of the five, supranational association of the leading, German-speaking, professional cultural professional associations. It is made up of the professional associations of Germany VKD , Austria [VKÖ], Switzerland [SKV], Luxenbourg [Vatel] and South Tyrol [SKV] or the largest professional representatives of cooks in Europe. |
| 2018 | KM. Michael P. Pansi [KdK 2014] is elected the youngest president in the history of the VKÖ and for the first time a Vorarlberg citizen is leading the fate of the association. The vice presidents are KM. Alexander Forbes Jr. [KdK 2017] and KM. Philipp Stohner [KdK 2016]. |
organization
The association is headed by an elected executive committee. It consists of the president ( president ), the two vice-presidents ( vice president ), Treasurer - Treasurer ( treasurer ), another Executive Board consists of the elected chairmen and delegates of the provinces sections. The chair is re-elected by the members every four years at the General Assembly. In addition to the Presidium or Board of Directors, the same structures exist in the federal states' sections, with the difference that there are no presidents, but section chairmen; The tasks and programs of the umbrella organization VKÖ are passed on to their respective members in the respective independent federal state sections. In addition to the national and international chefs, the members are also corporate members, companies, companies from the gastronomy and hotel industry as well as very close cooperation with gastronomy schools and public institutions such as chambers of commerce and labor as well as politics. Individuals who have made significant contributions to the organization can be appointed "honorary members" or presidents who are very much called "honorary president" for the future and further development of the association. Furthermore, the Association of Austrian Chefs, in cooperation with other institutions, awards the professional title “Staatl. Master chef ”and a master craftsman's certificate.
The biggest national award is the annual “Koch der Köche” (KdK) given to individuals who have rendered outstanding services to the culinary guild. This award has been given for over 20 years and represents the highest honor and value of a chef from the perspective of the association.
Furthermore, in individual cases, the umbrella association can award special personalities from its ranks of chefs the title “L'Ambassadeur de la Cuisine de Autriche”, the culinary ambassador of Austria's chefs, first to the honorary president of the VKÖ, Franz Zodl , and lastly to this title KM. Alois Gasser President of the VKÖ from (2014-2018)
WACS conferences relevant to Austria
| No. | year | place | country | Chair goes on | comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1928 | Paris | France | - | Founding meeting at the Sorbonne , first honorary president is Auguste Escoffier , founding member of the Association of Austrian Chefs. |
| 7th | 1956 | Frankfurt am Main | Germany (FRG) | Austria | Karl Duch takes over the office of President of the World Federation - WACS, Julius Eckel becomes Vice President and Ernst Faseth General Secretary. |
| 9 | 1960 | Vienna | Austria | Germany | |
| 13 | 1968 | Geneva | Switzerland | Austria | 40th anniversary is celebrated - Ernst Faseth takes over the office of President of the World Federation - WACS |
| 20th | 1982 | Vienna / Budapest | Austria / Hungary | - | |
| 2011 | innsbruck | Austria | WACS European Congress in Innsbruck | ||
| 2015 | Sarajevo | Bosnia and Herzegovina | European congress of the WACS, led to the establishment of the KOCH-G5, which is a member of the VKÖ. |