A museum dedicated to Rostbratwurst, a partially boiled sausage that originates from Nuremberg, has opened in the city in Bavaria.

The Nuremberg sausage museum

A new museum has opened its doors in the city, dedicated to one of the city’s most famous regional delicacies: the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst. The museum is supported by the Schutzverband Nürnberger Bratwürste eV, an association dedicated to protecting the origins and integrity of the sausage, which can only be produced in Nuremberg. Unfortunately, however, the museum’s opening ceremony has been postponed until next year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The museum does not house any actual sausages. Rainer Heimler, the senior chairman of the Schutzverband Nürnberger Bratwürste eV, has said that the museum, only 100 square metres in size, is too small for it. The association has already stated its plans to create a barbecue area opposite the building, and is currently in talks with the city council.

Nürnberger Rostbratwurst are characteristically small, measuring around seven to nine centimetres and weighing around 20 grams. In 2003, the association managed to get the sausage protected by the EU’s protected geographical indication (PGI) scheme, so that Nürnberger Rostbratwurst can only be produced in the city of Nuremberg.

The city of Nuremberg and its sausage

According to Heimler, “The history of the Nuremberg bratwurst is at the same time the history of the city of Nuremberg.” In fact, the oldest evidence of the sausage dates back to 1313, when a statute promulgated by the Nuremberg Council stated that, “all pork loin praet should be chopped into sausages.” The sausages could only be made by specialised butchers, who had to adhere to certain quality controls.

In the 16th century, the price of meat rose. This lead to sausages declining in quality, as butchers used cheaper meat to maintain the size of the sausages. However, in Nuremberg, butchers were allowed to produce smaller sausages to preserve their quality. This ensured the reputation of Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, which has endured until the modern day.