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Rischart – Munich Delights since 1883 – Almost every Munich resident who enjoys fresh bread, warm rolls, and wonderful cakes knows Rischart. But do you all know how long this traditional bakery has been around and what its history and the people behind it are? Today, I want to tell you a little about Rischart, one of Munich's largest bakeries. How did it all begin? Which branches are the oldest and most historically significant? And what philosophy has this Munich bakery lived and breathed for over 135 years?.
The Rischart bakery in 1911
How it all began – Rischart in the 19th century
It all began in 1883. That year, Max Rischart, a native of Starnberg, founded the "Rischart" bakery, embarking on a long and exciting journey to becoming one of Munich's largest bakeries today. That Max Rischart's life revolved around bread was almost a matter of chance. His parents had acquired a house called "Brotführer" (Bread Merchant), along with the right to conduct the corresponding trade. From the moment they purchased the house, the Rischarts were permitted to go door-to-door selling bread as itinerant salesmen. By his late twenties, Max Rischart was a baker and miller (then called a "flour merchant"), which also granted him the right to sell bread from the house. In 1872, Max Rischart moved to Munich with his wife and child, marking the beginning of the Munich history of the bakery as we know it today. In 1876, his son, Max Rischart Jr., was born – one of his six children.
Fresh baked goods are being delivered here.
In 1883, eleven years after moving to Munich, the first bakery was founded at Ickstattstraße 7. It was an opportune time to establish a bakery, as Munich was experiencing rapid growth at the end of the 19th century, and bread and fresh baked goods were in high demand. New bakeries with larger capacities were also in high demand in the Bavarian capital. The bakery quickly reached its capacity, and the premises at Ickstattstraße 12 were acquired. However, even there, space soon became insufficient, and Rischart purchased the building at Fraunhoferstraße 30 (now renumbered Fraunhoferstraße 44) – which remains the original Rischart bakery and production site until 1982. Unlike most bakeries at that time, Max Rischart did not lease, but purchased his bakery. With his concept and unwavering determination, the ambitious baker quickly rose to the top quarter of Munich's most successful bakeries. The first step towards great success had been taken. At that time, only the branch on Fraunhoferstraße existed. Rischart sold the majority of his baked goods not within his main bakery, but to intermediaries, dairies, and other retailers. Delivering baked goods directly to the doorsteps of many private households, carried out by his apprentices, was also a branch of Max Rischart's business at that time.
Around 1946: Baked goods are sold from a temporary barracks.
Rischart's history and expansion in the 20th century
In 1906, Max Rischart retired from the baking trade and handed the business over to his children, Max and Sophie Rischart. Around 1895, during his travels abroad, Max Rischart Jr. brought crescent rolls and nut braids back to Munich and introduced them to his father's bakery. Even then, the focus was always on innovative and progressive practices, and so a new, highly modern bread for the time, made from rye and bran flour (the so-called "Schlüter bread"), was developed and offered and sold as a reform bread (the "healthy whole-grain breads" of the time). In 1912, Rischart Jr. founded a Schlüter bread factory (Plinganstraße) and planned to open another bakery branch on Zweibrückenstraße. Unfortunately, the First World War led to the liquidation of the Schlüter bread factory and made the branch opening impossible.
At the beginning of the 20th century, technological progress began at the Rischart bakery, with machines being introduced to support daily operations (the first telephone with a five-digit number and a three-wheeled delivery van; in 1930, the first private automobile). Mechanization of production allowed the 16 employees (nine bakers, five sales staff, and two delivery drivers) to produce an increasing number of baked goods in 1920. It is thanks to Max Rischart Jr. that, on the one hand, state-of-the-art technology was introduced to the bakery, and on the other hand, new and special baked goods, pastries, confectionery, and ice cream were constantly being introduced. In 1914, Max Rischart Jr. married Luise Bartels and finally took over his father's bakery.
Franz and Gerhard Müller around 1950
During the war, the baking trade was subject to strict regulations, and numerous bakeries – including Rischart Bakery – faced various obstacles in the form of state-imposed restrictions (regulated baking facilities, raw material allocations and limitations, reduced flour quality, etc.). It wasn't until 1921 that baking could resume "normally," and it took another two and a half years before the "cheap bread," made with low-quality flour subsidized by the state, disappeared from bakeries. In 1919, Max and Luise's first and only child, Marianne, was born. In 1920 and 1921, the parents and founders of Rischart Bakery, Max Rischart Sr. and his wife, passed away. With the end of the war, expansion continued under Max Rischart Jr. Every penny was invested in modernizing the bakery, and the staff was increased. By around 1925, Rischart Bakery had risen to become one of the top seven percent of bakeries in Munich. (For comparison: Back then, most bakeries had no more than ten employees).
Guess what a bread roll cost in 1923, during the hyperinflation? – Up to 25 billion marks. A loaf of bread, on the other hand, cost a whopping 262 billion marks. During the inflation, there were many unpredictable factors for businesses, yet Rischart's bakery was less affected than other Munich companies. A large portion of the profits was immediately reinvested in the bakery and expanding its machinery. After the inflation subsided, the "Roaring Twenties" began, and Rischart's development progressed rapidly. In 1924, the company received its wholesale license, further mechanization took place, and a streamlined production process was implemented. Between 1930 and 1981, and in the wake of the "Black Friday" of 1929, a "bread law" was enacted, imposing strict regulations regarding flour use and bread weight – a significant restriction for the baking trade. Despite these and numerous other hurdles, the Rischart bakery thrived, and Max Rischart Jr. seized the opportunity to acquire a vacant shop directly on Marienplatz. Thus, in 1932, the Rischart branch opened at Marienplatz 18. Initially met with skepticism from fellow bakers, the branch soon became a true bakery hotspot. The production facilities (Fraunhoferstraße) quickly became too small, and a period of continuous renovations began. It wasn't until 50 years later, in 1982, that the new bakery and current production facility on Buttermelcherstraße was finally established. Throughout this time, Max Rischart Jr. was driven by a commitment to the highest quality and innovation. For example, in addition to summer ice cream, he also loved the wintertime Dresden Stollen and had it specially perfected by an authentic Dresden baker in his own bakery.
Some Rischart bakers baking in 1983
After 1933, the Nazi takeover of Germany led to renewed state-imposed price controls, and in 1934 a fixed price was set for certain types of bread, significantly reducing the profit margin for bakers and bakeries. Thus, the regulation of bread prices was considered an important instrument of social policy, as bread remained a staple food for Germans. Further misfortunes followed (the death of Luise Rischart in 1940; Max Rischart's work-limiting flour allergy). Soon after, in 1940, their daughter Marianne took over the business, together with her husband Franz Müller – himself a baker at the time and also the owner of the former large bakery Müller & Sons on Kazmairstrasse in Munich. However, since the two bakeries' business models were too different, a merger did not take place, and Franz withdrew from his own family business (Müller & Sons) to support the successful Rischart bakery. Despite government restrictions and the challenge of taking over the Rischart bakery, the bakery grew. Rischart already had 40 employees at that time.
In 1941 and 1943, Marianne and Franz Müller's children, Barbara and Gerhard, were born. A year later (1944), the original bakery on Fraunhoferstrasse was destroyed. A still-intact bakery at Hans-Sachs-Strasse 18 served as a temporary solution, allowing Rischart Bakery to continue production despite the total destruction caused by the war. Sales took place at Marienplatz and in the branch that had opened in the meantime at Orlandostrasse 1, which Rischart's Backhaus had taken over supplying in 1944. In 1945, the Marienplatz location was also destroyed, and sales of baked goods moved to emergency shops, textile stores, and souvenir shops. Also in 1945, American troops entered Munich – and despite all the obstacles and losses, Rischart continued to sell bread in the city. After the war, Rischart's most important task was the gradual reconstruction of Fraunhoferstrasse – accompanied by bureaucratic hurdles and ration cards for building materials. Despite the difficult supply of raw materials after the war, baking continued in Hans-Sachs-Straße. Although the building on Fraunhoferstraße was completely destroyed, the cellar, and thus the bakery, was still considered usable. During the reconstruction in 1947, the bakery was moved to the first floor of the building to free up space in the cellar.
Baking takes place here – around 1912
In the early 1950s, Franz Müller also established a small café on the ground floor of the original building. Every mark earned at that time was still being invested in the reconstruction of Fraunhoferstrasse and Marienplatz (the land having been acquired by the Rischart family in 1949). After the successful reconstruction, ice cream production – which had started on Maximilianstrasse after the takeover of Café Roma – was resumed there. Following the currency reform of 1948, Rischart was able to quickly build on its pre-war success. Shortly after the boom of 1948/49 and the Rischart bakery reaching 1001,003 customers, Max Rischart Jr. died in 1949. The renovation of the Marienplatz building was completed in 1952, and the following year the café and shop opened on the ground floor, offering seating for 60 guests – even then, espresso was a distinct specialty. In 1955, the first floor was also converted into a café, expanding the overall area. At that time, there were three sales outlets: Fraunhoferstraße, Marienplatz, and Orlandostraße – located at these locations from 1956 to 1964, until the opening of a branch on Leopoldstraße in Schwabing (Marmorhaus). By this time, Rischart already employed more than 100 people.
This is what a shop window at Rischart looked like in 1994.
During the economic boom years, per capita sales of baked goods declined. People no longer consumed large quantities of simple baked goods, but rather smaller quantities of high-quality pastries. For example, in 1953 Rischart processed 312 tons of flour, and – by comparison – 30 years later, this figure had increased by just five percent, to a total of 328 tons. The workload thus steadily increased, and Fraunhoferstrasse finally became too small. Production, the bakery, the café, and the office area moved, and the ovens were converted from coal to gas – the coal cellar could now also be used for baking. In 1967, construction began on the property directly on Marienplatz, which Franz Müller had acquired a few years earlier – an adjacent gap to Marienplatz 18. At the same time, Müller's son Gerhard joined the company, took over the coordination of the Marienplatz construction at the age of 24, and married his wife Elfriede Seidl in 1969. They had three children (Marion, Martina, and Magnus). Magnus Müller, that much was certain, would run the bakery in the next generation. In 1969, the new building on Marienplatz also opened, allowing for the expansion of the upstairs café. Incidentally, the "Biedermeier Room," specially furnished by Marianne Müller, still exists there today – a must-see! The major construction project on Marienplatz during the 1970s enabled Rischart to open an underground kiosk, as the construction work reduced foot traffic. Despite initial difficulties, the Marienplatz branch (basement) is now one of the highest-grossing locations. In 1973, Gerhard Müller-Rischart took over the company and aimed to maintain its high standards of quality while also achieving rapid growth.
Café Rischart at Marienplatz after the 2018 renovation
Rischart from 1980 to the present day
In the mid-1970s, the popular butchers' row at the Viktualienmarkt was renovated. Gerhard Müller-Rischart applied for a lease and in 1980 took over the Café zur Mauth in the former Augustinian church on Neuhauser Straße. However, expansion eventually made the premises at Fraunhoferstraße 44 too small, and after some searching, he found the property at Buttermelcherstraße 16. The central building was converted, and production facilities, including a new bakery, were built. The move from Fraunhoferstraße to Buttermelcherstraße was completed in 1982 in a single day, without any interruption to production. In the following years, Gerhard Müller-Rischart discontinued the supplier business and concentrated on retail. With larger production facilities, nothing stood in the way of further expansion. In 1990, a sales stand opened in the Stachus underground level, and ten years later, a branch with a café was added in the Olympia Shopping Center. Since 2001, travelers have also been able to purchase baked goods at Munich's main train station. Just over 16 years ago, in 2003, "Café Rialto" opened on Leopoldstrasse, and the aforementioned branch opposite in the Marmorhaus closed. In 2006, a branch also located in the basement opened at Ostbahnhof (East Station), followed by the opening at Pasinger Bahnhof (Pasing Station) in 2007.
Currently under construction: Rischart's new production at Theresienhöhe
Meanwhile, his son, Magnus Müller-Rischart, runs the bakery. He passed his master baker's examination in 2006, followed by his master confectioner's examination in 2007. After more than 135 years of company history and over 45 years of production on Buttermelcherstrasse, a further expansion of production is necessary. It is now known that Rischart's Bakery will be moving into a new production facility, currently under construction, at Theresienwiese. With its glass facade, this facility will not only showcase the craft but also provide some employee apartments. What else will follow, and what exciting new openings, highlights, and other surprises the Rischart family and traditional bakery will surprise us with, remains to be seen.
+++ This post was created in cooperation with Max Rischart's Backhaus KG. Thank you! +++
Pictures:
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- The Rischart bakery in 1911
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- Fresh baked goods are being delivered here.
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- Baking takes place here – around 1912
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- Around 1946: Baked goods are sold from a temporary barracks.
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- Franz and Gerhard Müller around 1950
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- Some Rischart bakers baking in 1983
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- This is what a shop window at Rischart looked like in 1994.
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- Café Rischart at Marienplatz after the 2018 renovation
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- Currently under construction: Rischart's new production at Theresienhöhe
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