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Currywurst in Berlin

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Berlin Currywurst

Currywurst · Berlin, Germany

Photo: Maksym Kozlenko · CC BY-SA 4.0

In 1949, a small stall in West Berlin mixed ketchup and curry powder obtained from the British forces into a new sauce.

Know before you go

  • Do not dither for long in front of a popular stall with a queue
  • do not drop paper plates and forks by the roadside or in metro stations
  • do not eat strong-smelling hot food on the metro or trams

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Currywurst is a German fast food: grilled or fried pork sausage cut into pieces, topped with curry ketchup and sprinkled with curry powder. According to English Wikipedia, its invention is credited to Herta Heuwer of Berlin: in 1949 she obtained ketchup (or possibly Worcestershire sauce) and curry powder from British soldiers stationed in Germany, mixed them with other spices into a sauce, poured it over grilled pork sausage and sold it at a stand in Charlottenburg, where it was very popular with the construction workers rebuilding the city. In 1951 she patented the sauce under the name “Chillup”; at its peak the stand sold 10,000 servings a week, and she later opened a small restaurant that stayed in business until 1974. The German Currywurst Museum once estimated that Germans eat 800 million servings a year, 70 million of them in Berlin alone. Hamburg also claims to be its birthplace.

Local customs

  • It is usually eaten standing at a snack stand (Imbiss), with a small plastic fork
  • it comes with fries or a bread roll
  • you can choose the spice level when ordering, and some stands let you choose with or without the casing
  • small stands often take only cash or small card payments.

Religion & beliefs

  • Currywurst has nothing to do with religion
  • it was born in postwar West Berlin as the city was being rebuilt from the ruins, and it is often seen as a symbol of Berlin's postwar history and ordinary people's lives. The sausages are mostly pork, so visitors who need halal or kosher food should look for stalls that offer beef or certified sausages.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · Germany

Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site: the grounds are like a cemetery, so no eating, drinking or smoking, and no audio played aloud

Do

  • Treat this place as a cemetery and place of mourning, and visit quietly
  • Dress appropriately and respect the solemnity of the place
  • Parents should make sure children behave appropriately; the museum advises that children under 12 not visit the exhibitions, the grounds or the former crematorium
  • If you want a guide, choose one authorized by the memorial site's education department

Don’t

  • Do not smoke, eat or drink alcohol within the former barracks area
  • Do not wear clothing or symbols associated with far-right extremist groups
  • Do not use devices with loudspeakers, and do not record audio or video or repost the guided-tour content online
  • Do not touch camp relics or exhibits, and do not leave luggage unattended
  • Do not bring dogs inside (guide dogs and assistance dogs excepted)

The memorial's visitor rules expressly forbid disturbing the peace of the dead in any way, and all the above behaviors are prohibited; those who damage relics or exhibits must pay compensation, and commercial photography requires prior permission.

Not yet verifiedSource: KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau：Guidelines for Visitors

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersBerlin

Walk slowly through the field of stelae at Berlin's Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe; do not climb or jump

Do

  • Walk slowly through the field of stelae and keep quiet
  • Follow the security checks and staff instructions when visiting the underground Information Centre
  • Turn off the flash when taking private photos in the Information Centre; commercial photography requires prior written permission from the foundation

Don’t

  • Do not make noise, climb on the stelae or jump from one stele to another
  • Do not bring pets or bicycles into the field of stelae, and do not smoke, drink alcohol or do sports there
  • Do not use flash photography or talk loudly in the Information Centre

The foundation's visitor rules list the prohibited behaviour in the field of stelae and require visitors to follow security staff's instructions; if you break the rules, stop immediately and leave if asked to on site. Exceptions such as assistance dogs are subject to the foundation's on-site rules.

Not yet verifiedSource: Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe: Visitor rules for the Field of Stelae and the Information Centre

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · Germany

Germany: Keep quiet on Sundays and at night

Do

  • Do noisy chores such as vacuuming, spin cycles and drilling on weekday daytimes
  • At night (usually 10 pm to 6 or 7 am), keep sound low enough that neighbours can't hear it with the door shut
  • When you move in, read the house rules (Hausordnung) posted in the building
  • If you hold a party, tell your neighbours in advance and turn it down by 10 pm

Don’t

  • Don't use power tools such as drills or lawnmowers on Sundays and public holidays
  • Don't throw bottles into public glass bins on Sundays or at night (check the sign on the bin)
  • Don't make noise during the midday quiet period (often 1 to 3 pm) where it applies

Quiet hours are set by state law, local bylaws and house rules rather than a single national law. Repeated disturbances can lead to complaints from neighbours, action by the public order office or police, and fines; amounts are as officially published.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Germany Focus Guide: German Ruhezeit and Sunday etiquette

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · Germany

Germany: Pedestrians, stay out of cycle lanes

Do

  • Before crossing or stopping for photos, check whether you are on the pavement or a cycle lane
  • When cycling, keep right and overtake on the left
  • On shared paths, give way to pedestrians and slow down
  • Children under 8 must cycle on the pavement; those aged 8 to 10 may choose

Don’t

  • Don't stand or walk in cycle lanes (a blue round sign with a bicycle marks a dedicated lane)
  • Don't cycle on the pavement unless a sign allows it

Cycle lanes are part of the road: stepping into one can bring a fine and, more importantly, a collision with a fast-moving cyclist. Cycling on the pavement without permission is also fined; amounts are as officially published.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Live in Germany: Cycling in Germany

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not dither for long in front of a popular stall with a queue
  • do not drop paper plates and forks by the roadside or in metro stations
  • do not eat strong-smelling hot food on the metro or trams
  • do not call it a “hot dog”
  • do not block the pavement and bike lanes when queuing.

Locals appreciate DO

  • Berliners appreciate customers who order briskly at the snack stand
  • ask the vendor whether the sauce is homemade and many will proudly tell you about it. Throwing your paper plate into the bin by the stand when you finish and saying "Danke" to the vendor is the most authentic Berlin-style courtesy.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Currywurst stands can be found in every district of Berlin, most commonly under elevated railway tracks, at main stations and on busy streets
  • a serving takes only about ten minutes, perfect between sightseeing stops. You can combine it with a walk around Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate, the Kurfürstendamm or Prenzlauer Berg. There is a memorial plaque to Herta Heuwer on Kantstraße in Charlottenburg. Dietary notes: the sausage is usually pork, though some stands offer beef, vegan or halal sausages, so ask in advance
  • the sauce contains ketchup and sugar, and some stands' "extra hot" is very spicy
  • fries are often served with mayonnaise (contains egg). Prices and opening hours are as set by each stand
  • popular old establishments often have queues, so eating off-peak is more relaxed.
Sources & verification notes

English Wikipedia: Currywurst

German Wikipedia: Currywurst

visitBerlin：Berlin's Currywurst

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