VOA · Arts & Culture
Intermediate · B1–B2learner speed4:432024-12-03public domain
The Arts & Culture beat covers music, film, museums, food, and traditions from the United States and around the world. The reports are short, vivid, and full of everyday descriptive language — great for learners who want vocabulary beyond textbooks.
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01A popular kind of sausage stand in Vienna, Austria, has been recognized by the United Nations for its cultural value.
02The street stands, called Wurzelstands in German, are a famous part of the Austrian capital's history.
03In addition to selling food, they are known for being a place where many different kinds of people can come together to eat and spend social time.
04UNESCO is the United Nations' educational, scientific, and cultural organization.
05It seeks to recognize and help save cultural treasures and traditions around the world.
06Vienna's Wurzelstands were recently added to a list of the countries intangible cultural heritage.
07The Austrian UNESCO Commission oversees the list.
08Among other things on the list are Vienna's traditional wine establishments, called Horigen, which were recognized in 2019.
09In addition, the city's famous coffeehouse culture was honored in 2011.
10The Associated Press reports, the history of Wurzelstands goes back generations.
11And they are known for much more than the tasty sausages they serve.
12They have been bringing people of many different backgrounds together for many years.
13The stands have also developed some of their own terms.
14These include the haza, a special kind of boiled sausage.
15Another unusual stand offering is known as the Käsekreiner, a smoked creation filled with cheese.
16And there is Ouspräiferel, a spicy pepperoni version, as well as the pickled krokodoo.
17Josef Bitzinger runs the Bitzinger Wurzelstand.
18He told the AP that sausage stands have a long history in Vienna.
19His stand enjoys a favorable spot, next to the city's Albertina Museum and just behind the Vienna State Opera.
20Originally, it was just a bucket, with hot water in which the sausages used to swim, Bitzinger said.
21He added that the stands began with small vehicles pulled by dogs or horses.
22Later, they were transported by cars or big trucks.
23The tradition of Wurzelstand goes back to the pre-World War I days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
24At that time, former soldiers set up movable cooking shops to make a living.
25The city's longest serving stand in a fixed spot is Wurzelstand, Leo.
26It has been serving up sausages since 1928.
27The stands started to develop quickly in 1969 when the government decided to begin approving fixed stands.
28Vienna's mayor, Michael Ludwig, said he thinks the UNESCO recognition honors the tradition, the hospitality, and the diversity of our city.
29He added that the stands remain a big part of the city's culture.
30Bitzinger said he and other owners had long campaigned for the UNESCO recognition.
31The special thing about it is that it's a form of gastronomy everybody can afford.
32Bitzinger added, Here, the general director, and during the opera ball, a celebrity stands next to a worker and the street sweeper who just finished cleaning the street.
33That unites people.
34I'm Brian Lynn.
35I'm Brian Lynn.
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