GERMANY: HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE TAKES DRESDEN'S ANNUAL STOLLEN CHRISTMAS CAKE TO THE CITIES FAMOUS "STRIEZLMARKT" CHRISTMAS FAIR

Record ID: 506060

  • Title: GERMANY: HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE TAKES DRESDEN'S ANNUAL STOLLEN CHRISTMAS CAKE TO THE CITIES FAMOUS "STRIEZLMARKT" CHRISTMAS FAIR
  • Date: 5th December 1998
  • Summary: DRESDEN, GERMANY (DECEMBER 5, 1998) (REUTERS) VARIOUS VIEWS DRESDEN (2 SHOTS) WS/LV ZWINGER PALACE (2 SHOTS) PAN BAKERS STANDING OUTSIDE PALACE/ SV (SOUNDBITE)(German)UNNAMED BAKER: I have this rum miniature in case of emergencies. OTHER BAKER ADDING: That was actually meant for the raisins in the cake. (2 SHOTS) SLV BAKERS SV CHIMNEY SWEEP CU ICING/ SCU BOY TESTING ICIN
  • Embargoed: 20th December 1998 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: DRESDEN, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Business,General,Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA620R4OZGMPQEE6BIXKWVD2YCA
  • Story Text: A horse-drawn carriage has paraded through the streets
    of the historic eastern German town of Dresden carrying this
    year's "Stollen" Christmas cake from Dresden's Zwinger palace
    to the famous "Striezlmarkt" Christmas fair in the city
    centre.

    At 4.30 metres length, 1.70 metres width and 0.72
    metres height, this year's cake did not reach last year's
    record weight.Weighing 3.300 kilogrammes, it missed the
    record by 340 kilos.

    The traditional Saxon cake was baked at over 100 bakeries
    and then pieced together.Among others, the following
    ingredients were used: one tonne of flour, 260 kg of sugar,
    600 kg butter, 24 litres rum and, most importantly, about two
    million raisins.

    On arrival at the Christmas market on Saturday (December
    5) the cake was cut by the head baker with an oversized
    "Stollen"-knife and then presented to the Dresden mayor.The
    slices were then sold for charity.

    Market visitors had to exchange money for a gold coin to
    be able to purchase a slice.Each gold coin cost five marks.

    This year the deputy mayor of Strasbourg Jean-Jacques
    Gsell attended the celebrations in the name of German-French
    friendship.

    Legend has it that the most famous of Dresden's cakes was
    baked for August the Strong.It weighed two tonnes, and took
    60 bakers to prepare.

    Eight horses transported it to the Elector's banquet,
    where it was sliced with a five-foot knife.

    But the Dresdner Christstollen, or Dresden Christmas cake,
    existed long before those eighteenth-century flamboyancies.

    The Dresden Christmas market, or Striezlmarkt, held
    annually since 1534, is named after an old word for the
    Stollen, first mentioned in the early fourteenth century.

    The Dresden cake contains rum-soaked raisins, candied
    fruit, and almonds.

    Dresden bakers have launched a battle in the courts to
    ensure that only cakes from Dresden may be called Dresden
    cakes - not the imitations now produced in Munich or Cologne.
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