The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-03-23
HOW BAKERS SAVED EUROPE.
Why Vienna Rolls are Always Made
i'm the Form of Crescent.

Do you know why Vienna rolls are
shaped like crescents? The story
forms one of the great "ifs" of his
tory. Solyman, the magnificent, sui
tan of Turkey, planned to overrun
Europe even as he and his moslem
predecessors had seized the countries
of the orient With mighty army
he captured the fortified Island of
Rhodes, invaded Hungary, annihilat-
ing the Magyar forces at Mohacs Gin
1920 and Staying the Hungarian
king
So successful was the first expedi-
ton that he planned second and
more far-reaching raid in 1929.
Moving onward almost unchecked,
and carrying all before him, he cap
tured Buda and advanced against
the city of Vienna.
All Europe stood aghast. Nothing
had been able to stem the wave OF
Moslem conquest. Men remembered
how one eastern land after another
had been seized by the Mohammedan
hordes and forced to adopt Moham-
mechanism as their religion. People
trembled for the fate of Christen-
dom. It seemed for moment almost
possible that the whole eastern sec
ton of the European continent might
fall victim to the Turks and become
part of the Moslem possessions.
To hope for clemency from Soly-
man was to rely upon the mercy of
the merciless. Conquering one
Christian army and stronghold after
another, the sultan's all powerful
army threatened to carry destruction
and Mohammedanism throughout
the continent. 1t was one of Fate's
big moments.
On moved the Turks. Vienna
(then capital of the German empire)
stood in their path, a seemingly frall
obstacle between such host and the
rest of Europe Should Vienna fall
before the Moslem onset the progress
of the sultan's army would be made
far easier, and other lesser cities
would lose heart.
The inhabitants of Vienna were at
that time more renowned for culture
and thrift than for warfare. Yet un-
der Nicholas Won Salem they gallantly
proposed to defend their city against
the foe, and to fight to the last gasp
for their imperilled homes. The
Turks drew near, destroying VieDna's
suburbs, and encamped close to the
town itself.
It was on September q, 1929, that
the enormous Turkish host laid siege
to Vienna, Solyman conducting the
affairs in person. Before risking USE
less loss of life in a general assault
the sultan tried to make an entrance
into the city by means of tunnels.
His soldiers were set to work with
pick and spade to dig secret under
ground way into Vienna by which a
body of men might later pour into
the place and thus catch the defend
ers "between two fires"
The cleverness of the Turkish en-
gineers and the countless workers at
their command made the task a
swift one. Here it was that an eff"
intervened to save the threatened
capital and prehaps Europe as well.
Some Vienna bakers were at work
one night $50 runs the story in a
cellar making bread for the garrison.
During a pause in their conversation
one of the bakers happened to hear
the mufled sound of digging. 1t
seemed to come from spot not far
beyond one of the cellar walls.
Guessing at once that the enemy
were tunnelling a way into the city,
the bakers rushed out and gave the
alarm. The garrison, aroused. was
able to battle Solyman's plan.
The sultan, failing at strategy,
next tried force. He hurled his army
against the city in one fierce assault
after another. The Viennese fought
like heroes. Each attack was re-
pulsed, with terrific loss to the
Turks.
For four entire days the Moslems
assailed the city, fresh detachments
ever taking the places of those who
reeled back defeated. During the
four days, almost without a moment
for food or sleep, the defenders fought
off the charging horde. 1t seemed
we'll nigh impossible that so furious
an onset by so vast an army. could be
repelled by a comparatively small
garrison. But the defenders were
fighting for home and religion.
On the fifth day of the assault (Oc-