The sandwich, the little sandwich and the bread roll

Let's talk about its origins, its essence, and its cherished traditions. A slice of bread and butter has many roots. In Brandenburg and Berlin, it's colloquially known as a "Stulle" or "Klappstulle," while Rhinelanders affectionately call their open-faced sandwich a "Bütterken," and in Saxony, the classic is served as a "Bemme." In my childhood home of Lower Saxony, a simple open-faced sandwich is called a "Knifte." Whatever you call it, a slice of bread and butter can be incredibly delicious! It's definitely worth trying!

Craftsmanship has a special tradition in Germany.

Even in the modern world of "artificial intelligence," individual guilds maintain their own customs and traditions. Bread has a long history, beginning roughly six thousand years ago in Egypt. "Panis" is the Latin name from which "Pains" in France, "Pane" in Italy, and "Pan" in Spain are derived. The word "Brot" (bread) evolved from the Old High German "Prot," as did the English "Bread," the Scandinavian "Bröd," and likely also the African "Brood," which originated in the Netherlands.

The old sayings show that bread stands for much more than just a foodstuff made from grain and flour – “to be employed” or “breadless” and “breadmaking” illustrate the importance that bread used to have.
Even in a religious context, the phrase "breaking bread" simply means sharing food with others – quite naturally! All of this stems from times when scarcity was common. Today, in the digital world, products are already being produced using 3D printers; whether they deserve the term "food" is another question.

Intangible cultural heritage

It is important to connect tradition with the future. To strengthen craftsmanship by creating intangible cultural heritage. In 2014, the guild bakers secured a place in UNESCO's cultural register. Bread is recognized as a valuable, healthy food. Handmade, baked with love. So simple, so good! Recognizing bread as intangible cultural heritage is a crucial form of support for the craft. In Germany, more than three thousand varieties of bread are recognized as cultural heritage. Potsdam has created its own product, "Mühlenbrot" (Mill Bread), using flour from the historic mill at Sanssouci Park. Applause!

The Historic Mill of Sanssouci

For Potsdam residents and visitors from all over the world, a visit to the historic mill in Sanssouci is a wonderful experience. Bread is still baked here. The sails are still turning! Inside, there's a special exhibition to admire, and you can buy the artisan mill bread in the museum shop, as well as at the local bakery, Fahland. You can use it to make sandwiches, open-faced sandwiches, and open-faced sandwiches, depending on your mood, appetite, and favorite ingredients. Enjoy!