Viennese public kitchen operating company
The Vienna Public Kitchen Company (WÖK) was founded after the First World War as an aid organization to publicly feed the poor and needy.
history
Walter Schiff initiated public feedings for the poor as early as 1914 . In the famine years after the First World War, the public sector took over this task. In 1919 the "Vienna Public Feeding GesmbH" was founded with a share capital of 20 million crowns, which was raised in equal parts by the Austrian State Treasury and the municipality of Vienna . The company's task consisted of feeding the people , especially for small and school children, but also for needy adults and pensioners. By the end of 1919, the new company had taken over 19 war kitchens . The food generally had to be picked up. Only in the kitchens on Karolinengasse in Wieden was it possible to have meals there.
In 1920, the name was changed to "Vienna Public Kitchen Company" (WÖK) and the company expanded to 39 kitchens. The workforce was increased to 766 people.
In April 1921, the first restaurant-like operation was opened at Herrengasse 16.
In 1923 the WÖK served around 5 million meals, in 1930 it was 9 million - the highest level before the Second World War.
After the Second World War , the company experienced a huge boom. In 1947, more than 41 million meals were served. From 1955, the WÖK also supplied day care centers for old people with a minimum income (later “pensioners' clubs”).
In 1958, WÖK was the first restaurant company to use an electric stove in its branch at Mariahilfer Straße 85.
In 1969 the “Meals on Wheels” campaign started, initially with 25 customers. In 1979 the "Meals on Wheels" campaign already supplied 5,500 people.
In 1978 the WÖK was restructured and renamed to " Wigast Gaststättenbetriebs-GesmbH ". Production facilities for salads and semi-finished products were set up, as well as a large kitchen equipped with modern technology.
In 1981 the WÖK building in Gassergasse in the 5th district of Vienna was made available to the “Association for the creation, promotion and support of self-administered cultural and communication centers”, and the Gassergasse cultural center was built there .
In 1991 Wigast was converted into a stock corporation. The company revitalized Wilhelminenberg Castle and also took over Café Schwarzenberg .
From 1999 to 2001 Wigast was gradually merged with Österreichisches Verkehrsbüro AG . Wigast was now Austria's largest restaurant chain, which also included well-known restaurants such as Rathauskeller , Donauturm and Wilhelminenberg Palace, as well as the Wienerwald restaurant chain .
In 2008 the Verkehrsbüro sold its culinary division in order to concentrate on its core tourism business.
literature
- Edith Hörandner: WÖK a Viennese institution - 1919-1994 . Vienna 1994
WÖK in the media
- ORF message v. August 25, 1968: “In cooperation with the ' Pomoc uprchlíkům ' / 'Refugee Aid ' organization, the 'Vienna Public Kitchen' (WÖK) distributes free meals in all of its branches for Czechoslovaks who have stayed in Austria. You can register with the 'Pomoc uprchlíkům' organization, where you will receive coupons for a daily meal. Children are specially catered for. The kitchen staff are instructed to cook light meals for the children. "
- Writer Thomas Bernhard : For years four of his characters have always been eating the cheapest food from Monday to Friday in a certain WÖK. One of the main characters then goes to Café Zögernitz , "because the newspaper selection there was better than in the WÖK"
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://agso.uni-graz.at/webarchiv/agsoe02/Stock/35_agsoe/35bio.htm Walter Schiff biography
- ^ Vienna public kitchen company (WÖK). In: dasrotewien.at - Web dictionary of the Viennese social democracy. SPÖ Vienna (Ed.)
- ↑ http://www.radio.cz/de/rubrik/sonderserie68/der-oesterreichische-rundfunk-sendet-nachrichten-in-tschechischer-sprache
- ^ The cheap eaters , 1979, Suhrkamp Tb