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The Mirabell-Werk factory in Grodig, near Salzburg, which had been producing the famous “Echte Salzburger Mozartkugel“ for over a century, has ceased operations as the Salzburg factory completed its final order of the Mozartkugeln.
The corporation Mondelez International, which owns all rights to this symbol of Austrian tradition, has decided to halt production in Austria. Plans are underway to move production to Poland or the Czech Republic, though details remain unclear. The decision has sparked dissatisfaction among employees and the local community.
The Grödig factory in southern Salzburg has been producing the Mozart Ball sweets since 1890, a century after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s death.
The firm was originally created by Salzburg confectioner Paul Fürst in the late 19th century, who started a small factory in the city before moving to the larger Grödig location in 1948.
At the end of 2024, the company produced its last batch of the dark chocolate-covered pistachio, marzipan and nougat confections.
Salzburg Schokolade went bankrupt last year, putting an end to 65 jobs and a production line that produced 57 million of Mozart Balls annually. The company has blamed the rises on cocoa prices and the knock on effect of Covid-19 for their closure, after first filing for insolvency in 2021.
The Grödig factory has now officially closed, ending a chapter for the sweets that were designated the “Echte Salzburg Mozartkugeln” or “Real Salzburg Mozart Balls”.
Machinery to produce the sweets has reportedly been sold to firms from Egypt and Mauritius but Mondelez International, the American food company which bought Salzburg Schokolade in 1975, has yet to confirm what the future holds for Mozartkugeln. What’s definitive, however, is that production has ceased in Austria.
“We are working hard to ensure that production of Mirabell products can continue without interruption,” stated Mondelez’s Austrian management. “After carefully examining our production options, we have found a solution in our European network that will secure the future production of our Mirabell brand.”
Sites in Poland and Czechia have been suggested to continue production.
Chocolate copies
Although Fürst’s were the original, the chocolate has fended off imitators throughout its history, most notably a Bavarian manufacturer producing “Real Reber Mozartkugeln”.
In 1981, the company received a judgement that only Austrian producers could use the “Mozartkugeln” name, forcing Reber to rename their product “Mozart-Kugeln”.
The Salzburg Mirabell brand is the only one allowed to produce completely round Mozartkugeln with all other brands forced to add in a flat side.
Source: Euronews/T-Online