… and I believe that our founder Gustav Buchwald would never have dreamed that his1852 founded “Baumkuchenfabrikation-Konditorei und Café” in Cottbus is now the oldest pastry shop in Berlin.
When I was five years old and my eyes were wide, I stood in our bakery. I was fascinated by the many sweet, tempting scents and smells and by our Baumkuchen.
The Baumkuchen determined the lives of all generations after Gustav Buchwald. It was the meaning of her life and also her destiny.
This was also very much appreciated at “Königs”. Around the turn of the century, our pastry shop was awarded thetitle “purveyor to the court” by the Prussian Prince's Court.
I often marveled at my mother Ursula Kantelberg as a Baumkuchen confectioner and how she did managed to give our wonderful cakes a face. She is still a class pastry chef today and has been a master of her craft for more than 50 years.
“Ew. Highly Born”
1963After her master’s examination, my mother took over the management of the bakery. At that time, my grandmother Käthe Dielitz looked after sales and our customers until the 90s. This was her life's work and content until she was 85 years old.
Grandma Käthchen was the soul of the business for many years. She took over our pastry shop in 1935 and, with endless hard work and a lot of strength and courage, built up a real Baumkuchen and cake business with the legendary Uncle Pauli. Both of them avoided the many problems in the uncertain times during the war and after. Our Willi Pauli only stayed away from work because of his military service in the two world wars and went without vacation. Illness was a foreign word for him.
1952our pastry shop celebrated its 100th anniversary. Since then, the Baumkuchen has been sent all over the world, because during the war years many customers were displaced or emigrated, but they didn't want to go without our Baumkuchen.
Gustav's heirs don't stand still. They can't do that at all.
Me neither.
With my passion for Baumkuchen and tradition behind me, I too moved with the times:
Im In 2014 I successfully completed my exam to become a master pastry chef.
Now I had the official certificate to be able to continue running our pastry shop.
Since May 1st In 2015 I am the third! Owner.
Because since 1935, only women have been at the helm of the pastry shop.
I have proudly taken on the responsibility.
I am taking over our historical documents and our Family secret – the Baumkuchen recipe. The Baumkuchen should continue to be baked in this way in the coming decades.
I will continue to run the pastry shop with new ideas in the coming decades.
Warm greetings from the Baumkuchen,
Andrea Tönges
And, one more P.S.:
A well-known Berlin magazine conducted a survey in Berlin years ago on the topic:What and who do Berliners love, started. I think this survey was very representative. And, our pastry shop was in fourth place, ahead of love for the “dear God”.
Yes, the Berliners and our many guests love us. They love our Baumkuchen, our way of designing the café. They also love our history and the stories that we like to tell together in front of a large audience.