A bite of history.

What began as a cattle market in the late 1700s, the Schlachthof St. Marx established itself in 1846 as the epicenter of animal processing and sausage production in the Austro-Hungarian empire. Initially, women known as “Bratlbraterinnen” were in charge of processing and selling sausage to the public. Later on, the Habsburg monarchy issued concessions to injured war veterans (who otherwise may not have been able to find work) allowing the sale of sausages in public. The kiosks had to be mobile and be removed at the the end of the day, yet laid the foundation of the “Wiener Würstelstand” as we know it.

These kiosks became a gathering point for many a people – where the street sweeper and city bureaucrat debated over god and the world, where young and old, rich and poor found a common ground – it became a place where class did not matter, but the sausage did.

In 1969, the city of Vienna allowed permanent structures as sausage stands, which solidified these kiosks as landmarks throughout the city. The oldest, still operating kiosk is Leo’s Würstelstand in the 19th district, the most popular is Bitzinger’s Würstelstand between the Opera and Albertina.

In 2024, the Wiener Würstelstand was added to UNESCO’s immaterial world heritage list, even though only about 120 remain, down from 500 in 2010. Modern adaptions of the Würstelstand offer fancy side dishes such as oysters and truffled fries, along with champagne and by the glass selections of Austrian wine.