Karl Juchheim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karl Juchheim
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| Born | December 25, 1886 Kaub, Germany
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| Died | August 14, 1945 (aged 58) |
Karl Joseph Wilhelm Juchheim (born December 25, 1886 – died August 14, 1945) was a German baker. He is famous for bringing baumkuchen to Japan. Baumkuchen is a special German layered cake.
Karl Juchheim and his wife started the Juchheim Company in 1921. Today, this company still sells baumkuchen and other sweets. They use Karl's original recipes in many pastry shops across Japan.
Contents
Karl Juchheim: The Baker Who Brought Baumkuchen to Japan
Early Life and Baking in China
Karl Juchheim was born in Kaub, Germany. In 1908, when he was 22, he moved to Jiaozhou Bay in China. This area was under German control at the time.
Karl started working at a cafe there. In 1909, he opened his own pastry shop. He sold many kinds of cakes. After five years, he went back to Germany briefly. He met Elise, a 22-year-old woman, and they got engaged in 1914.
Soon after, Karl and Elise returned to Jiaozhou. They got married on July 28, 1914. Together, they opened another pastry shop in Tsingtao.
A Prisoner of War in Japan
Shortly after World War I began, British and Japanese forces attacked Tsingtao. Karl served as a soldier. After Tsingtao fell, Karl and Elise were sent to camps in Okinawa, Japan. They were prisoners of war.
While they were in the camp, Elise gave birth to their first child in November 1915. Later, Karl Juchheim and other prisoners moved to a camp on Ninoshima island, near Hiroshima.
It was in Hiroshima that Karl first baked and sold baumkuchen in Japan. This was at a German exhibition hall. After World War I ended in 1918, most prisoners went home. But Karl and Elise decided to stay in Japan.
Starting a Business in Japan
In 1921, the Juchheims opened their own pastry shop in Yokohama. They named it E. Juchheim, after Elise. Karl baked the cakes, and Elise managed the sales.
On September 1, 1923, a huge earthquake, the Great Kantō earthquake, destroyed their shop. The couple then moved to Kobe. They borrowed money and opened a new store. This new store was very successful and grew quickly.
His Final Years
During the Pacific War, their shop's lease ended in 1944. They could no longer bake there. The family moved to a hotel in Kobe. Karl Juchheim passed away there on August 14, 1945. This was just before Japan surrendered.
His body was cremated. His son, Karl-Franz, had joined the German army in 1942. He was later declared to have died in May 1945 in Vienna.
After the war, Elise Juchheim had to leave Japan for a while. She was able to return in 1953. Both Karl and Elise Juchheim are buried in a cemetery in Ashiya.
His Legacy: The Juchheim Company
Today, the main office for Juchheim Co., Ltd. is in Kobe, Japan. The company is proud that it still makes sweets using Karl's original German recipes.
Juchheim has many shops and smaller companies across Japan. Their shops are especially famous for their baumkuchen cakes. They also sell Frankfurter Kranz, cookies, and apple pie. The company has about 564 employees. They make about 27.4 billion Japanese Yen in sales each year.
