In Rabianska Street 9 you’ll find one of the most singular Museum you ever imagine: The Living Museum of Gingerbread!
Once in Torun you cannot miss it, because it’s a truly one connection with lifestyle and culture of this glorious town.
Here the visitors can see, for istance, the original German machines (which were used to bake ginberbreads), a vintage baking oven and the collection of wax gingerbread molds. They can even participate in create and decorate the famous Pierniki.
The most important factory was in Strumykowa street: manufactured gingerbread biscuits and cubes, including Serca (Hearts), Katarzynki (Little Kates) and Kryniczanki (plural noun for a female person living in the town of Krynica). They were filled with marmalade and coated with a chocolate glaze.
Chocolate was made not by the factory but brought from elsewhere. In 1910 there were 170-180 regular production workers, but even more than 220 worked in the factory in the high season. Working hours were from 6. am to 6. pm with a short breakfast and a 30 minutes lunch.
Tradition and evolution
The peasants tithed in the form of honey and wax; the first mention was made of baker Niclos Czan (1380)
Wax is a plastic,easily kneading mass: the colour depends of species: white, pale golden, dark yellow, greenish… It was used on polish soil for thousands of years: with the adoption of Christianity, the use increased because of Church required the use of wax candles.
In the Middle Ages, wax was needed in royal and municipal offices to make seals and for the production of writing plates. Tanners, shoemakers and bleachers dealt with whitewashing of linen, and it was also valuable mean of exchange, as a tribute in the old villages.
In Europe the custom of shaping gingerbread using wood and clay moulds originated at least at early as the 15th c. The tradition of giving gingerbread biscuits various shapen was even earlier and the influence of woodcarving on gingerbread mould is unquestionable.
They were probably made by bakers themselves as well as wood carvers. It was those specialized craftsman who created the more intricate decorative mould and who, more often than not, were anonymous.
The earliest remaining Torun gingerbread moulds come from the 17th c.Many are blocks carved on both sides while some two part blocks were used for making marzipan or decorated figures (from sugar, starch, edible gum), and later, for making the solid gingerbread biscuits serving as Christmas decorations.
Mould preparation was in three steps: first wood selection (without knots, mostly apple and pear): then using tracing paper for an outline; finally the removal of wood to form the mould.
Gingerbread makers enjoyed a high social status. The drowning up shows a noble from Nurnberg called Hans, wearing expensive apparel and holding an impressive gingerbread mould baking in his hand.
In the 19th century gingerbread was made on a industrial scale, especially in the factories owned by Gustav Weese and Herrmann Thomas.
Before that,in 1763, the marriage of Jan Weese had laid the foundation for the development of gingerbread Torun’s industry. The subsequent generation of Weese generation continued to develop and expand the small nakery into a modern factory: according to citizen statute, in Torun wasn’t allowed to have more than 4 factories.
Spices
Spices are not only aromatic, improving the taste of the dishes; earlier, they were used as perfumes and cosmetics as well as remedy and a mean to prevent diseases. Spices were brought to Europe from distant Asian regions as China and Indonesia.
Pepper, cinnamon, clove, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg…in the preparation of Pierniki, they used a lot Ceylon Cinnamon.
It is grown mainly in Sri Lanka: plants require high humidity and heavy clay soils. Originally, all cinnamon (around 250 species) occurred only in Asia. The spice is bark, which is obtained in a year, cleaned and dried in the sun. The most aromatic cinnamon is coming from the oldest part of the three; to obtain an intense aroma, the trees should mature about 8-15 years. The leaves have a slight gloss and evidently innervated, leathery.
