Vienna Had China Restaurants in the 1920s

Why this is here: Records show Chinese people lived in Vienna between the two World Wars and offered food there, predating the commonly accepted start of Chinese restaurants in the 1970s.

Jakob Lehne and Andrea Ruscher from the Wien Museum discovered evidence of China restaurants in Vienna dating back to the interwar period. For many, “Chinatown” evokes images of the United States. However, Chinese communities also existed in European port cities like Hamburg.

Many Chinese people living in German-speaking areas fell victim to internment and murder by the National Socialists. This erased not only their presence but also the memory of their existence. Lehne and Ruscher’s research challenges the assumption that Chinese restaurants in Vienna began in the 1970s.

The researchers found earlier records indicating a Chinese presence and culinary offerings much earlier than previously thought. The full extent of this early Chinese culinary scene in Vienna remains unclear. Further research continues to uncover these lost histories.