Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-08-24
F0|LED The TURKS.
Vienna Bakers Saved Europe
From the Grip Of the Moslems.
CAUSE OF soLYMAN's DEFEAT.

A Mornentous Incident In History That
Carries With It an Explanation Of
Why Vienna Rolls Arc Nodded In tho
Form Of a Crescent.
Do you know why Vienna rolls are
shaped like crescents? The story
forms one Of the great "ifs" Of history.
Solyman the Magnificent, sultan Of
Turkey, planned to overrun Europe,
even as he and his Moslem predeces-
sors had seized the countries of the
orient. With a mighty army he cap
tured the fortified island Of Rhodes
and invaded Hungary, annihilating the
Magyar forces at Mohacs lin 1926 and
Staying the Hungarian king.
So successful was the first expedition
that he planned a second and more far
reaching raid in 1929. Moving on
ward almost unchecked and carrying
all before him. he captured 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 n eastern land after another
had been seized by the Mohammedan
hordes and forced to adopt NOLAN.
mechanism as their religion. People
trembled for the fate of C~hristendom.
1t seemed for a moment almost DOS
sible that the whole eastern section of
the European continent might fall VIC
tim to the Turk and become part Of
the Moslem possessions.
To hope for clemency from Solyman
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 Mohammed-
anism throughout the continent. 1t
was n OF fate's big movements.
On moved the Turks. Vienna Cthen
capital of the German empire, stood
In their path, a seemingly fral obsta.
Gle between such a host and the rest
Of Europe. Should Vienna fall before
the Moslem use 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 Salm they CALAMITY
proposed to defend their city against
the foe and to fight to the last gasp for
their imperiled homes. The Turks
drew near. destroying Vienna's sub
,,y,l~ 1~l 4I>-- 49,, 49, l--
itself.
1t Vas Oh Sept p. 1929, that the
enormous Turkish host laid siege to
Vienna. Solyman conducting the affair
in person. Before risking useless loss
OF life in a general assault the sultan
tried to make an entrance int the city
by means OF tunnels. His soldiers
were set to work with pick n spade
to dig a secret underground way into
Vienna by which a body OF men might
later pour into the place and thus
catch the defenders "between two
fires"
The cleverness OF the Turkish engi
neers n the countless workers. at
their command made the task Il swift
one. Here it vas that an IF" inter
vened to save the threatened capital
and perhaps Europe as well.
Some Vienna bakers were at work
one night-sO the story runs-tn q Gel
lar. making bread for the garrison
During q pause in their conversation
n OF the bakers happened to hear the
mut1ed SOUND OF digging 1t seemed
to come from Il spot not tar beyond
n OF the cellar walls. Guessing at
once that The enemy was t%unneiing d
way INT" the city. the bakers rushed
out and gave the alarm The garri
son aroused. was able to battle Soly
man plan
The sultan. failing at strategy. next
j tried torve He hurled his army
against the clty in one herce assault,
after another The %tiennese fought
like heroes Each attack was repulsed
with terrific loss TO the Turks. For
four entire days the Moslems assailed
the city. fresh detachments ever tax
ing the places OF those who reeled back
defeated On the fifth day OF the as
sauIt. Oct IA. Solyman gave up the
attempt to crush Vienna He with
drew suilenly from the scene OF his de-
feat leaving 10000 dead Turks on the
field the pr1ce OF conquest was for
once TOO Mig for him.
Vienna was saved. and o only Vi
emma, but Europe Vienna had been
Europe's barrier against the Turks
farther advance. and the barrier held
firm. The northern limit of Europe's
Turkish raids was reached.
Once more. in later years. Vienna
was besieged by the Moslems. and she
again beat them off. The high tide
Of such invasion had come and receG-
ed Europe at large was now forever
secure from this long dreaded foe.
In the moment of victory, according
to the account the bakers who mad
given the alarm were not forgotten.
To commemorate the event they and
their descendants ~thenceforth nodded
their rolls into the shape OF a crescent
Ehn co1vad nrolloro 20 M, ~, IN -