User talk:70.133.64.78

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My entries are of long-time researched material unlike much of what is input by others.

The Wikipedia version (to edit or add) is at Thorner Kathrinchen

(Storing my information)

Contents

[edit] Thorner Lebkuchen, Pfefferkuchen

History backround for gingerbread, spice cookies Honigkuchen (honey cakes-cookies), Lebkuchen, Pfefferkuchen [1]

[* Honigkuchen Gustav Weese, Thorn

[edit] Thorner Lebkuchen, Pfefferkuchen

History backround for gingerbread, spice cookies Honigkuchen (honey cakes-cookies), Lebkuchen, Pfefferkuchen

Thorner Kathrinchen, Honigkuchen, Lebkuchen (Polish: Piernik)

Examples of the gingerbread, showing different shapes used
Examples of the gingerbread, showing different shapes used

Toruń gingerbread (Polish: pierniki toruńskie, German: Thorner Kathrinchen, Lebkuchen), also Thorner Honigkuchen or Thorner Pflastersteine [2] are since medieval times traditional small sweet bakery goods (gingerbread type) from Thorn, Prussia. A factory developed from a family shop Weese, which started in 1763 and is continued under different owners today in the city of Toruń, Poland as Thorner Lebkuchen [3].

Varieties

  • Gingerbread covered with chocolate: Kathrinchen, Polish: "Katarzynki", Gingerbread hearts, Gingerbread hearts covered with chocolate
  • Filled gingerbread covered with chocolate
  • Gingerbread iced
  • Gingerbread iced, filled
  • Classic gingerbread
  • Devorative Gingerbread
  • Gingerbread monuments

[edit] History

The making of small sweet baked goods (spice cookies) (Lebkuchen, Honigkuchen, Pfefferkuchen), commonly but inaccurately referred to as gingerbread, is a long-time tradition often undertaken in cloisters and abbeys. Each type nowadays has specific ingredients, but in English they are commonly simply referred to as gingerbread.

These small breads, sweetened by honey and various added spices (referred to collectively as ‘’Pfeffer’’(pepper)) were made to last for several months. They were baked en masse, stored and passed out by the monks or pastors to the towns people during difficult times. Drinking of honey wine Met (see: (mead) goes back to ancient times and honey was the only sweetener available in Europe for many centuries until the Prussian king established Zuckerrüben Anbau (growing of sugar beets). The bakers who make these baked goods became known as Lebküchler or Pfefferküchler and formed guilds or Zünfte, guarding their specified way of preparations within their family and passed on their secret receipes from generation to generation.

A considerable factor behind the development of gingerbread-making in the Hanseactic city of Thorn/Toruń was its excellent location. Situated near a river, on high-quality soil, the area provided fine wheat for flour, while nearby villages provided honey. The necessary spices were brought from remote countries, mainly India, via a route through the Black Sea, Lemberg Lviv to the Germanies, where the spices were transported by the north-German trade companies. Some also came from the Hanse city Danzig Gdańsk.

The gingerbreads are named for the Katharinen-Kloster (St. Catherine's) in Thorn, where they were made for a long time. The first mention of Torun gingerbread comes from 1380, Prussia and speaks of a local baker called Niclos Czan, a Peter Czan [4] (modern German spelling Za(h)n) is recorded in Prussian documents and the spelling Niclos was standard German for todays Nicola(u)s as the same Prussian records [5] show. The product quickly gained fame across Prussia and abroad. The recipe had to be guarded from the city of Nuremberg, itself famous for special pancakes. Finally in 1556, they formed an agreement by which each city could bake the specialities of the other.

The artisans weren't the only ones engaged in the production of the delicacy. In the 16th century, the Cistercian Order on the outskirts of the city prospered mainly due to this activity and even sold their product to other countries. During the 17th century, the well-known workshop of the Grauer family appeared. The local authorities were supportive of the lucrative trade and issued several tax breaks on spice imports and export by bakers' guilds so that the trade could be increased. The rector of the Elbing gymnasium Friedrich Hoffmann (1627-1673), who was well known in poet's circles, wrote about the Thorner Pfefferkuchen. In 1745 Tobias Thomas, Pfefferküchler (gingerbread maker) from Thorn established himself in Pilsnitz, Saxony as well and a Hermann Thomas built a factory in Thorn a hundred years later.

With the establishments of large industries in the 18th and 19th century Europe in general, Thorn also saw a decrease in small individual bake- and other crafts shops. In 1825, only three individual bakers were left. With the advent of capitalism, large companies took over from the local craftsmen and mass production of the gingerbread ensued.

The largest gingerbread factory in Thorn was owned by Gustav Weese based on the establishment in 1763 by Johann Weese. Gustav Traugott Weese had inherited a small workshop after his father Andreas’ death in 1824 and changed it into a large company. The Weese company received orders from many different countries and in 1875 even "Gazeta Toruńska" wrote on New Year's Eve that due to demand they sold as far as Africa. Other exotic places of export included Turkey, Japan, China and Honolulu. In 1913, Gustav Weese had constructed a factory which, after World War I ended, was employing over 500 workers.

Because of the results of the Treaty of Versailles Gustav Weese in January 1939 was forced to 'sell' to the Polish company "Społem". He, like millions of other Prussians, had to leave their longtime family homeland, which was forcibly turned into Poland. Gustav Weese had a company outlet in Berlin and during the war he took over the family company in Thorn again. This came to an end in 1946, when the new communist administration of Poland disowed him. Today a company named Kopernik produces Toruńskie pierniki or Thorner Lebkuchen and is "considered the oldest confectionery company in Poland" today. This seems to make the Weese company, built in Thorn, Prussia , one of the oldest of Europe.

Besides Gustav's factory there was also the Hermann Thomas company founded in 1857, which in 1907 employed 200 workers. Another important company engaged in the production of gingerbread was founded by Jan Ruchniewicz in 1907. The enterprise prospered quite successfully and had 50 workers. It was especially known for the ornamental gingerbread topped with Toruń's crest.

[edit] Polish Version Pierniki Toruńskie

Torun gingerbread in Polish culture

Pierniki Toruńskie, as they are known in Poland, form a part of the symbols of the national cuisine of Poland. They have been praised in literature, poetry, and the other Beaux Arts. As all cities commonly present their important guests with regional specialities, traditionally gingerbread gifts were given by the city of Thorn and Toruń gives pierniki to its Polish leaders, artists and other Poles who have marked themselves in Polish society. In the past they were also given to Polish kings. Baking moulds have survived with the likenesses of Sigismund III and his wife, Władysław IV and queen Cecilia Renate as well with the king's seal of Władysław IV with Polish eagle and royal crown together with crests of provinces. Other notable figures who received the gingerbread as gift from the city are: Maria Kazimiera Sobieska the widow of king Sobieski, bishop of Kujawy Antoni Ostrowski, the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte(during his visit the whole city was illuminated and bells were rung all over the city), Zygmunt Krasiński one of the leading Polish romantics, Jan Matejko, Helena Modrzejewska, Josef Pilsudski,Artur Rubinstein,Czesław Miłosz, Lech Wałęsa and John Paul II. Since at least the Middle Ages, "pierniki" have been connected with Toruń in Polish proverbs and legends. One of the legends claims that the gingerbread was a gift from Queen of Bees to the apprentice Bogumił. An old epigram by poet Frederik Hoffman from XVII century speaks of four best things in Poland: "vodka from Gdańsk, Toruń's gingerbread, ladies from Kraków, and shoes from Warsaw". Józef Epifani Minasowicz in XVIII century wrote that if one doesn't drink vodka one is not worthy of tasting the gingerbread, and Jakub Kazimierz Haur stated that peasants ate bread as eager as the gingerbread.

The famous Prince-Bishop Ignacy Krasicki, who wrote Polish poems and who personally favoured pierniki, wrote about them in his poem "Monachomachia". Adam Pług wrote in 1854 about a father returning from a fair to bring his children gingerbread as a gift. Zygmunt Kaczkowski in his "Gniazdo Nieczujów" spoke of it as an exceeding noble food. One particular story connected with Torun gingerbread involves Frederic Chopin, the famous pianist and composer. When 15-year old Chopin visited the Dziewanowscy family in Szafarnia, a small village near the river Drwęca, he also stopped over in Toruń. He naturally sampled the city's famous confection and grew so enamoured of it that he decided to write a letter about them to his friend Jan Matuszynski. Praising the taste of the gingerbread, he even sent some to Warsaw. In honour of that particular event, the largest producer of Toruń gingerbread in Poland - the confectionary company, "Kopernik", has made a special variety of gingerbread called "Scherzo" in the shape of heart and with Chopin's portrait on the wrapping. The town of Toruń holds a yearly celebration dedicated to the gingerbread called Święto Piernika or Festival of Gingerbread.

Current producers

They are two main producers of Toruń gingerbread; the confectionary factory "Kopernik" S.A. and Toruń Bakery. The first upholds its legal rights to the brand name and is the successor of the Gustav Weese company (founded in 1763) forced to sell in 1939 , while the second is the company formed by the bakers and producers from Toruń who specialised in making gingerbread. Its aim is to spread the knowledge of the craft and produce exclusive gingerbread for restaurants, parties and elite meetings.

Trivia

  • The largest known Torun gingerbread was made in 1778 and had a size of ca. 2 m long and 0,30 m wide. It was presented to Catherine the Great.
  • A variety of Torun gingerbread known in Polish as Katarzynki refer to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, as baking for the holiday season traditionally started in the town's monastery on her feast day, 25 November, the feast of St. Catharine. In German this variety is known as Thorner Kathrinchen.

Sources

[edit] External links

23. Jan 2008

[edit] Your recent edits

Hi there. In case you didn't know, when you add content to talk pages and Wikipedia pages that have open discussion, you should sign your posts by typing four tildes ( ~~~~ ) at the end of your comment. If you can't type the tilde character, you should click on the signature button Image:Signature_icon.png located above the edit window. This will automatically insert a signature with your name and the time you posted the comment. This information is useful because other editors will be able to tell who said what, and when. Thank you! --SineBot (talk) 19:54, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Categories

Regarding the Bishopric of Warmia, its categorization is not a big deal to me. Regarding Category:People from Elbląg, biographies are categorized by by the modern name of a municipality. See for instance Category:People from Lviv, which has people from when it was known as Lwów and Lemberg. Off the top of my head, the only exception that exists is Category:People from Kaliningrad and Category:People from Königsberg, since there is a separate article for Königsberg. I will restore the categories for the biographies in question. If you would like to suggest a change to this situation, WT:CAT would be the best place to begin a discussion. Olessi (talk) 14:13, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

List is not a big deal to you, that may well be so. Making wrong lists or categorizing people and places in wrong categories seems to be a favorit pasttime of a number of people entering in Wikipedia though.

The list now [6] showing people from Elblag and People from Poland is incorrect. The people I had removed from the list are not born in Elblag, they are not born in Poland. It is not only incorrect, but it is an injustice to the people involved to claim, as this list now does, that they are people from Elblag and or People from Poland.

Suggestion: Make seperate lists for people from Elbing, which was the name of the city from its foundation in 1237 until 1945 and seperate list for people from Elblag since 1945. A city of Elblag only exists since Communist Soviet Army take-over in 1945. That would be the only correct way.

Going back to a category on a list not beeing a big deal, let me ask you this, which homeland have you or any one in your family been expelled or ethnically cleansed from, because previously somewhere someone did not think it was a big deal to categorize a person or a place on the wrong list ??? MfG 27 Feb 2008

I reiterate my previous suggestion that if you would like to propose a change to the current categorization system, the best place to do so is at Wikipedia:Categorization and its talk page. Alternatively, you can try Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Categories. Olessi (talk) 20:39, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Your recent edits

Hi there. In case you didn't know, when you add content to talk pages and Wikipedia pages that have open discussion, you should sign your posts by typing four tildes ( ~~~~ ) at the end of your comment. If you can't type the tilde character, you should click on the signature button Image:Signature_icon.png located above the edit window. This will automatically insert a signature with your name and the time you posted the comment. This information is useful because other editors will be able to tell who said what, and when. Thank you! --SineBot (talk) 04:31, 1 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Create an account?

It looks like there is an editor who is consistently using this IP address. You may wish to consider creating an account and becoming a named user. Please read Wikipedia:Why create an account? and think about whether or not you would like to create an account. GRBerry 23:40, 3 March 2008 (UTC)