1559 Kastner's history begins
First link of the name Kastner (at that time still written with a C) and Bad Leonfelden. The first House of right was the Kastner – the so-called Lebzelter House (recording of 1875) since 1559. Today the Café on the town square is no longer is owned our Lebzelter Café located Franz Kastner GmbH. In Lebzelter Strasse, where the factory sale, adventure world and the gingerbread and cookie production can be found.
First book of masters, from the year 1636
Kastner's name is mentioned with the ancient craft of the wax, gingerbread, and met producers. The gingerbread of House Kastner were part of this Guild since 1636. The picture shows the first master book of Lebzelter of the country whether the Enns.
Founding of the so-called Franzensbad
Franz Kastner (8th generation) established together with the blue printer Karl Wagner the Františkovy Lázně. This is as a predecessor of today's Marsh and Kneipp spa town Bad Leonfelden. He discovered the healing powers of the bog water, and developed a moor mud soap for gout patients.
1892: market fire in Bad Leonfelden
At the end of the 19th century 98 houses of the market were burned in a great fire in Bad Leonfelden, including the home and headquarters of Franz Kastner, down to the ground.
Fresh start after difficult times
Many setbacks had to be mastered in order to survive hard times. As for example the 30 years war, the demise of the guilds, the industrial production of candles, the conflagration in Bad Leonfelden and last but not least the two world wars. But using big work and ambition of the Kastner families could overcome all the difficulties. After the withdrawal of Russian occupying forces in 1955 attempted a fresh start. An advertisement for the Leonfeldner pumpernickl shows the new start.
1957: Reconstruction of the Café pastry shop on the town square
This postcard shows the modified Café-Konditorei Kastner on the town square in Bad Leonfelden.
1970: First production machine
After a lot of preparation work, the first machine of gingerbread in the still very small "factory" on the town square was taken into operation in 1970.
1976: Opening of the new gingerbread factory in Freistädter Straße
Six years after the purchase of the first production machine, the gingerbread factory in the free city street was opened. Today, gingerbread and biscuits are manufactured at this location, with the new road called life tent road. To compensate for the seasonal fluctuations in the gingerbread sale, soon new articles were recorded by intensive product research in the production program.
1980: birth of the so-called Rumba plum
Especially the Rumba plum ultimately brought the turnaround from a small local company into an internationally renowned company. Kastner Rumba plum sweetened the Christmas celebration in weightlessness on MIR also for the Russian cosmonauts.
1996: extension oft he location, second production facility in Bad Leonfelden
Acquisition of dairy and adaptation for production. In this new site, waffles and confectionery products are being manufactured today.
2001: Acquisition oft he company by the current owners
Management buyout by the current owners, Franz Weglehner and Paul Nimmervoll.
2013: Conversion of the Lebzelterei
The factory outlet and Café were rebuilt and opened along with the new gingerbread world, the so-called Lebzeltarium.