Lviv - the European Coffee Capital Ever wondered why coffee is so important for Lviv? Well heres a little fun fact about that to enjoy with your morning coffee! The history of coffee in Lviv begins in the late 17th century but the pre-history starts during the reign of King Jan III Sobieski of Poland (1624—1696), who on September 12, 1683, headed a Christian coalition of Polish, German, French and Austrian armies to lift the lengthy Turkish siege of Vienna. After, never again did the Islamic military attempt to subjugate Europe. During those long weeks of the Turkish siege of Vienna, the Polish king was ably served by a personal confidante Yuriy-Frants Kulchytsky. Kulchytsky was born in Kulchytsi near Lviv. As a young man, he became deeply interested in the Turkish language and culture, mastering Turkish then taking work as a translator for the Belgrade office of the Austrian Oriental Company. Kulchytsky could also be considered the equivalent of today’s secret agent. Fluent in several Turkish dialects and dressed in appropriate Turkish garb, he could penetrate the Turkish siege lines and sneak into the tunnels that ran beneath Vienna city walls. There he kept Count Von Starhenberg informed of the impending rescue attempts. When Kulchytsky sold out the Turkish Armys plans, surprised at every turn they were forced to retreat to the East, abandoning their command posts with maps, battle plans, armor, cannons, tents, stables, kitchen fires, coins, jewels, food and bags of Turkish coffee beans. The spoils of war were divided between the victors, Kulchytsky chose to take his share in bags of coffee beans, surprising the Viennese, who considered them strange, worthless items. At this time although enjoyed in England, Marseilles and Paris, coffee was still unfamiliar to most of continental Europe. The grateful Viennese also presented Kulchytsky with a house in the Inner Stadt (Old Town). Here the enterprising fellow established the first coffee house in Central Europe, named the Hof zur Blauen Flasche or ‘House under the Blue Bottle’. Kulchytsky’s abilities helped popularize coffee in Austria and in time his cafe became one of the most popular places in the city. Over time coffee spread throughout Europe, and the coffee house or ‘kawiarnia’ became popular in Lviv. It quickly became the cultural center of meetings, literary discussions and ordinary city life gossip, as well as a hotbed of political connivance. They also served as libraries, where newspapers and books were available to customers. Thereyou have it, thats how Yuriy-Frants Kulchytsky, - merchant, soldier, spy, diplomat, avowed hero of Viena and simply a man from Lviv, left Europe a great legacy by introducing coffee culture. #coffee #Lviv #Ukraine #famous #Ukrainians #Tours_to_Ukraine #CobblestoneFreeway
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 13:00:01 +0000
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