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Der Hefezopf oder Hefestriezel

 Jutta Gotthardt

1. Presentation of the pastry (sweet bread)
The "Hefezopf is a bread formed like a braid and it belongs to the "structured breads". These are breads with customs and history in the background and this kind of bread is usually decorated in various ways.
The "Hefezopf " is a sweet bread , produced of sugar, flour, butter, eggs and yeast. It is possible to make it finer with raisins, almonds, cinnamon and other ingredients . There are a lot of prescriptions for baking.
The shape varies, but it must always be a braid, made of three or six parts of ropes.

2. History of the braid

Explanatory models
The theory of the bread-researcher Max Höfer says, that customs of the "Hefezopf" have originally had to do with human sacrifice (the wife had to follow her dead husband into the grave!). Later this rite had been changed to the sacrifice of the wife's braid and this became a sweet bread, the "Hefezopf" which was laid to the grave. But this theory is not so credible.

The Swiss bread-researcher Dr. Max Währen represents the opinion, that the braids are an invention of Swiss bakers in the Middle Ages. At 1256 the first union for bakers was found in Switzerland. The baked sweet bread is known since 1430. The breads had been given as presents at Christmas and New Years Day.

People did recognize a connection between braiding and imagination of conjure.

In Salzburg , Niederösterreich and Südtirol the "Hefezopf" has been given to customers at the days of the "Allerheiligen"Allerseelen". It was a rememberance of the deceased and should remember the "hair sacrifices" (the best that one can give of himself).

In the 15.th century the "Zöpfe" had been a sign of proposal of marriage and like a proof of love, too. A "Hefezopf" could bee a gift of a young man to his loved girl .

Various names today: Allerheiligenstrizel, Seelenzopf (Seele=soul), Seelenspitz, Seelenzelter, Filenbrot (File=cord).

"Zopf" was a sweet bread for a cause:
Present during religious festivals, a gift for godchild; In earlier times there was a regulation, that the gentry gave gifts of the pastry to their servants at festive days.

3. My personal relation with the "Hefezopf"
The fresh fragrance und the fine flavour of the "Hefezopf" reminds me of festivals and on the lot of Sundays in my life, when during my working life in my profession, I still made sure, that there is the good fresh "Zopf" for breakfast.

4. Customs today
There are some of the kinds of gifts today as described in paragraph 2 .

Sporting groups organize competitions and the winner receives a big "Hefezopf"(Waldachtal e.V.)

A competition of baking "Hefezopf" in a little village Frammersbach ,where people use the income from the sales for a good social cause.

Sources:

1. Gert von Pacensky/Dünnebier: "Kulturgeschichte des Essens und Trinkens"

2. Edith Hörander: "Brot und Gebäckbrauchtum in den Alpenländern"

3. Dr.Max Währen (Britforscher), Beitrag aus "panissimo" 13/99

4. Hans E.Valentin: "Brezen,Kletzen,Dampedei" Verlag Friedrich Puslet

5. Suchmaschinen (Internet)altavista,lycos