Where Did The Pretzel Come From?

Pretzel, Brezel, Brezen or Bretzel: It all starts with the inconsistent name. And if you try to find out where the pastry originally came from (Bavaria? Swabia? Austria? Alsace?), you will probably be having a very hard time.

There are numerous legends surrounding the origins of the Breze - let's stick to the name we give it in Munich. It is quite likely that the name goes back to the Latin word “brachium”, which means “arm”. According to a legend, a monk in the 7th century thought of the arms of his fellow monks crossed in prayer and invented the typical pretzel shape. Another story names the baker Frieder from Urach as the originator. The man had been sentenced to death. His only way to save his soul: to bake a pastry through which the sun could shine three times.

There are still very few reliable sources on the origins of the pretzel. The pretzel has been the symbol of the bakers' guild for over 700 years. The oldest depiction of a pretzel can be found on a picture of a Last Supper scene from the 11th century. Here, Jesus is sitting with his disciples, having fish, wine and a pretzel.

What we do know for sure: In Munich, we love our Breze  - plain and fresh from the oven, with butter or as a giant Wiesnbreze! There's just one thing that we don't do: Sorry, dear guests from the USA, but mustard belongs to the bratwurst, not on the pretzel. 😉