Frank Ramsperger, mixing dough
the old fashioned way, by hand,
circa 1940s.
Gus Sr. and daughter Karen in
front of the "new" oven, circa 1953.
Frank Ramsperger, circa 1950s,
enjoying well-deserved retirement.
Three generations of pretzel makers
display their product, in the former
production area, as Dave and
co-workers look on.
One story of the pretzel--and there are many of them--says that in 640 A. D. a medieval Italian monk created the pretzel as a reward for children who said their prayers. The pretzel’s twists signify arms crossed in prayer with the three openings symbolizing the Trinity. (Pretzels are believed to bring good luck, prosperity and spiritual wholeness.) Through the twists and turns of history, the word pretzel was derived from the Latin pretiola--which means small gift, or bracciatello which became bretzel when it crossed the Alps into Germany to the present day delicacy--pretzel--originally soft and chewy.
The lowly pretzel actually has royal connections. In the early 1500s, the city of Vienna, now in Austria, was under attack by Ottoman Turks. When the invaders couldn't penetrate the walled city, they tried digging underneath its walls during the night. Pretzel bakers, who were working, heard the Turks and uncovered their plot, letting the authorities know. A fierce battle ensued but, the Austrians won! A grateful emperor awarded the pretzel bakers of Vienna an honorary coat of arms, thus elevating the humble pretzel to the status of royalty. Today, bakeries all over Europe have pretzels hanging above their doors.
Another legend is taken from a stained glass window in a cathedral in Bern, Switzerland. The window shows a pretzel as the marriage knot in a wedding ceremony between two people of royalty and their families. Wishing on a pretzel, like making a wish on a wishbone, became a common marriage custom. Once the pretzel was broken, a wish was made and the couple ate the pretzel. This legend gives a whole new meaning to "tying the knot."
Pretzels Cross Over
Pretzels came to America with this country's colonizers…the earliest reference in 1652. They were usually made in home kitchens and small bakeries. Commercial pretzel making had its start in America in the late 1850s in the village of Lititz, Pennsylvania.
Hand-twisted since 1920
Not surprising, with St. Louis's strong German heritage, pretzel bakeries used to dot the landscape in the early 1900s. Gus' Pretzel Shop has been serving St. Louis pretzel fans since 1920 when a riveter named Frank Ramsperger started baking pretzels for a living after he was hurt on the job. (The business was named for Ramsperger's son-in-law, Gus Koebbe, who took over the business in 1952. The shop is now owned by third generation pretzel-maker Gus Koebbe, Jr.)
It's a Family Business
The more things change, the more things stay the same, in some respects. The original recipe and method of making the pretzels are the same. (Grandpa Ramsperger used to mix the dough by his hands, in a trough.) In Gus Sr.'s time, the pretzel shop was a mom and pop operation--with Sr. and wife, Marcella, doing all the work and their seven children pitching in after school, on weekends and holidays. Today, only the sons--Gus Jr. and Dave--carry on that same family tradition and are assisted by their family members.
When he purchased the shop from his parents, Gus Jr. was just 23 years old, had a degree in computer science and was working as a programmer at American Can Co.
Not only is Gus' Pretzels a family business, it's a neighborhood business as well. Situated in the shadow of the world-famous Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Gus supplies the brewery tasters a daily batch of "bald" salt-free pretzels for the 3:00 p.m. tasting--to cleanse the tasters' palates.
In 1998, Gus launched an expansion to the business. The business now has a scrubby dutch clean viewing area where pretzel patrons can watch the entire production process.
Choose from sticks or twists or a pretzel sandwich (this is a delicacy in which pretzel dough encases either a hot dog, bratwurst or salsiccia), either cheese or mustards for dipping and soft drinks are available every day except Monday for takeout only.
Although the facility may have changed--one thing has stayed the same: the lure of a hot, soft pretzel—simply irresistible.
