Manner (confectionery) facts for kids
Manner is a well-known company from Austria that makes many kinds of sweets. It was started in 1890. They make wafers, chocolates, candies, and special treats for holidays.
Their most famous product is the "Neapolitan wafers." These were first made in 1898. They are small wafers filled with hazelnut cream. The hazelnuts originally came from the Naples area in Italy, which is how they got their name.
The company's logo shows St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. This logo has been used since the 1890s. That's when Josef Manner, who started the company, opened his first shop near the cathedral. The church and the company agreed that Manner could use the cathedral in its logo. In return, Manner helps pay for a stonemason to repair the cathedral.
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History of Manner Sweets
How Manner Grew Big
Josef Manner was a skilled businessman. He had a small shop in Vienna where he sold chocolate. In 1890, he started the "Josef Manner Chocolate Factory" with his brothers. They soon moved to a bigger place. By 1897, the company had 100 employees. The famous Manner wafer was invented in 1898.
In 1900, Johann Georg Riedl joined the company. This started a partnership between the two families that still lasts today. By 1913, Manner was the top sweet maker in Austria-Hungary. They built a new factory in Vienna that is still used today. In October 1913, the company became a public company and had 3,000 employees.
Manner During Wartime
During the Second World War, Manner continued to make sweets. They produced chocolate and biscuits for soldiers. The company was considered important for the war effort. They were able to get cocoa beans until 1945. The factory buildings were not badly damaged by bombs.
After the War and Modern Times
After the war ended, the company faced challenges. They had very little sugar and cocoa for two years. In 1947, Josef Manner, the founder, passed away. In 1953, his grandson, Carl Manner, joined the company.
In 1960, Manner started using new packaging for their wafers. They used special foil with a red tear-off strip. This kept the wafers fresh and helped sales grow a lot. In 1964, they had their best sales since 1914. In 1970, Manner took over two other sweet companies, Napoli and Casali. This added many new products to their range.
Manner is a company whose shares are traded on the Vienna Stock Exchange. However, a large part of the company is still owned by the founding families.
In 2005, there was talk about protecting the Manner factory building as a historical monument. The company worried this might make them move production. But many people in Vienna wanted the factory to stay.
Manner has opened special shops called flagship stores. They opened one in Vienna's Stephansplatz in 2004. There's also one at Vienna Airport since 2006. To sell more sweets in other countries, Manner opened sales offices in Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Germany. They also have shops in Salzburg and Graz.
In 2009, Manner's total sales were about 155.4 million euros. About 55% of their products were sold outside Austria. In 2011, Manner announced plans to make their Vienna factory bigger. They wanted to make all their wafers there by 2015. In 2013, they made about 180 million euros in profit. They invested about 40 million euros in the Vienna plant. In 2014, part of the factory in Vienna collapsed during renovations.
Carl Manner led the company until he passed away in 2017. He was a very important part of the company for many years.
The Vienna factory was greatly updated. In 2017, they started using heat from the factory's exhaust air to warm homes nearby. This could provide heating for about 600 homes. By 2020, the factory in Perg was closed, and its machines were moved to Vienna.
St. Stephen's Cathedral Trademark
Manner has used Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral as its trademark since 1889. The design was created by Josef Diltsch. In 1999, Carl Manner received a special award for his company's support of the cathedral.
| Nutritional value per 100g | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 485 kcal (2,030 kJ) |
|
65 g
|
|
| Sugars | 46 g |
|
22 g
|
|
| Saturated | 13 g |
|
Protein
|
5.6 g
|
| Minerals | Quantity
%DV†
|
| Sodium |
10%
150 mg |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults. | |
Original Manner Neapolitan Wafers
The Original Manner Neapolitaner wafer was first officially recorded in 1898. At first, the wafers were sold loosely. From 1924, they were sold in packs of ten. Since 1960, they have been sold in special foil packaging that keeps them fresh. This packaging has a tear-off strip and a tab.
| Nutritional value per 100g | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 503 kcal (2,100 kJ) |
|
66 g
|
|
| Sugars | 46 g |
|
25 g
|
|
| Saturated | 21 g |
|
Protein
|
2.9 g
|
| Minerals | Quantity
%DV†
|
| Sodium |
7%
100 mg |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults. | |
Fun Facts About Manner
- In 2008, Austrian Post made a special stamp with Manner's classic advertising picture from the 1950s.
- The world's largest waffle oven is at the Manner factory in Vienna. It can make 49 tons of waffles every day!
- In 2014, 8,500 packs of Manner wafers were set up like dominoes in Vienna City Hall. They all fell down with one push, setting a world record!
- Carl Manner, who led the company, had a doctorate in math and physics. He joined the company when he was 24. He passed away in 2017, at almost 88 years old.
- After a part of the Vienna factory collapsed in 2014, Manner said that no one was hurt. They moved some production to another area while they rebuilt.
- Bike companies like KTM have made bicycles with the cool Manner design.
See also
