Die Presse, a daily newspaper founded in Vienna, remains the primary media legacy of August Zang. Born in the Austrian capital in 1807, Zang transitioned through multiple professional phases, moving from military service as an artillery officer to pioneering commercial baking methods in France, before ultimately establishing a significant publishing and banking empire in his home country.
Culinary Innovation in Paris
Before his prominence in media, Zang relocated to Paris in approximately 1837. By 1838 or 1839, he established the Boulangerie Viennoise. This venture introduced the Viennese steam oven to France, a piece of equipment that became an industry standard for baking. While anecdotal accounts frequently misidentify him with nobility titles such as Baron or Count, Zang functioned primarily as an entrepreneur. His bakery popularized the Austrian kipfel, which evolved into the French croissant.
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The lifting of censorship in Austria during 1848 provided the opportunity for Zang to return to Vienna and launch Die Presse. He utilized the business model established by Émile de Girardin’s La Presse, emphasizing high-volume circulation, advertising revenue, and accessible, serial-style journalism. In 1864, internal conflicts led to the departure of staff who founded Die Neue Freie Presse, forcing Zang’s publication to become colloquially known as Die Alte Presse. He exited the newspaper business entirely by selling his interests in 1867.
Diversified Business Interests
Following his career in publishing, Zang managed a diverse portfolio, including a banking operation and a mine located in Styria. The site of this mining activity remains identified today as Zangtal, or Zang Valley. Despite his commercial success and significant wealth, Zang maintained a degree of separation between his various public personas. When he passed away in 1888, his death notice in Die Presse omitted his extensive background in the Parisian baking industry, and his elaborate tomb in Vienna similarly excludes references to his early career.
Fast facts
- Born: 1807, Vienna
- Died: 4 March 1888, Vienna
- Father: Christophe Boniface Zang, surgeon
- Parisian bakery name: Boulangerie Viennoise
- Year of Die Presse foundation: 1848
- Year of newspaper sale: 1867
- Mining location: Styria, Zangtal
- Occupations: politician, entrepreneur, banker, journalist, publisher
Questions readers ask
Did August Zang invent the baguette?
No. While he introduced the steam oven now used to bake them, there is no historical evidence supporting claims that he created the baguette.
Was August Zang a member of the nobility?
No. Although some baking historians refer to him as a Baron or Count, he did not actually hold these titles.
