Altmann & Kühne facts for kids

Altmann & Kühne outlet on the Graben. The facade designed by Josef Hofmann.

Altmann & Kühne is a famous candy and chocolate shop in Vienna, Austria. It started in 1928. They make special handmade chocolates and candies. Their unique boxes were designed by Wiener Werkstätte, a famous art group. You can find their shop in the heart of Vienna, at Graben 30.

Altmann & Kühne: A Sweet History in Vienna

The Altmann & Kühne business grew very well. They even said they supplied sweets to the old royal family! The company expanded to three locations in downtown Vienna. The main store on the Graben had a new, modern look. This design was created by Josef Hofmann. This building is still there today and is a protected landmark. Inside the shop, the chocolate boxes had modern designs. These were made by artists from the Wiener Werkstätte school.

By 1938, Altmann & Kühne was Vienna's fourth-largest chocolate maker. It was smaller but known for its fancy products. It was behind the "big three" companies: Victor Schmidt, Heller, and Küfferle. In 1938, a big change happened in Austria. The owners, Emile Altmann and Ernst Kühne, had to leave Vienna. But the business kept going. This was thanks to their dedicated employee, Mrs. Mercek. She helped the shop survive through those difficult years.

Sweet Success Across the Ocean

In December 1939, Altmann and Kühne opened a chocolate shop in New York City. It was located at 700 Fifth Avenue. In 1941, the New York shop was sold to an American investor. It continued to use the Altmann and Kühne name until 1958. The New York Times often listed Altmann and Kühne chocolates. They were a popular choice for Easter shopping.

Betsy Wade, a writer for The New York Times, remembered them in 1987. She spoke of "chocolates in European-looking packages." She liked the "cats' tongues," which were finger-length pieces of dark chocolate. After Altmann and Kühne left New York, their Fifth Avenue store changed its name to Blum's. It still sold chocolates that were "perhaps among the finest made in this country."

Another group of former Altmann and Kühne employees also moved to the United States in 1938. They started the Barton's Candy Corporation. This company sold "Continental Chocolates." These were made to be like the original Altmann and Kühne products. This American business grew into a chain of three thousand stores.