1914-1939 - From the battlefield of the First World War to the New York World's Exhibition

The name of Charles Gundel is known to many: for his unparalleled achievements in Hungarian gastronomy and hospitality, for the Gundel Restaurant in the City Park, or for the Hospitality School named after him. But few people know that he fought as a decorated reserve officer in the battlefields of the First World War.

On July 28, 1914, the First World War broke out, changing the relations that had existed until then, and calling Hungarian men to the battlefield. Charles Gundel already had a wife, five children and a booming restaurant, but the call of the 'war of glory' still captivated him.
Charles Gundel, then 30 years old, enlisted in the Monarchy's army and was drafted, spending forty-three months at the front.

Indeed, Lieutenant Gundel went from the white damask to the thick of battle.
He joined the 52nd Infantry Regiment of the Imperial and Royal Infantry of Pécs as a reserve lieutenant. After mobilisation, he was posted to Pécs, and between August and October 1914 he was sent to the Serbian front.
In January 1915, Gundel and his regiment were transferred to the Russian front, where he distinguished himself in several bloody battles, beginning his service as a reserve lieutenant. During his time at the front, he received tragic news: his father, János Gundel, died on 28 December 1915 at the age of seventy-two, which was a big blow for him.
He served in the Eastern Front until the spring of 1918, when, after the Russian armistice, Gundel's regiment was transferred to the Italian Front.
During the war he was awarded several decorations, including the Military Cross of Merit, III Class, the Bronze, the Silver Signum Laudis (with swords on a war ribbon) for his conduct as a valorous soldier, and the Charles Cross of the Military Staff.

In a speech delivered decades later, Charles Gundel recalled the circumstances of his entry into the war: "Flowers were strewn, carpets were laid at our feet! And we went! We left parent, brother, sister, wife, child! We left our home, our warm, clean white bed, our comfort, our peace, our vocation. We have a new vocation! The country had to be defended: and we defended it!" (Idézet a Tábori Jenő által szerkesztett A cs. és kir. „Frigyes főherceg” 52. gyalogezred hadialbuma… című kötetből.

On the matter of eating - In Blessing and Abundance

In his absence, his wife kept the restaurant alive in the City Park, with the help of a manager hired especially for the war period and the rest of the family. In addition, Margaret had to raise the children and take care of other duties. During the war, Charles Gundel exchanged his wedding ring for an iron ring as part of the Augusta Fund's 'Gold for Iron' charity campaign, which he wore proudly throughout his life.

We present these two photos to give you an idea of the level of gastronomic experience that Charles Gundel must have had at the front.

The horrors of scarce supplies and poor quality raw ingredients were known to all conscripts. But officers were better looked after where possible. At Christmas and Easter celebrations or other special occasions, wine, cake and other pastries were offered in the officers' messes. Otherwise there were camp bakeries, 'sausage factories' and meat-processing departments, even in the harsh conditions - not to mention officers' canteens with 'all the world's good things'.

In 1918, after returning from the war, he was discharged as a captain and returned to his family and the management of the Gundel restaurant in the City Park. In the difficult economic climate after the war, he faced shortages of food and fuel, inflation and a dwindling number of customers, but despite all this he successfully rebuilt his restaurant, which later became one of Hungary's best-known restaurants.

Charles Gundel said that small things are often enough for gastronomic enjoyment, if they can provide total satisfaction, pleasure and experience."If we don't just look upwards and see beyond 'fine dining' to the everyday lives of the majority of people, we can actually find 'gastronomy' for the enjoyment of all.

Az 1920-as és 1930-as években aztán Gundelnek sikerült ismét fellendítenie a városligeti éttermét, a fővárostól átvette 1920–1925 között a Royal Szálló, 1927-től a Gellért Szálló éttermeinek bérlését.
In the meantime, he had 12 children. By the 1930s, he had become a leading figure in the Hungarian hospitality and tourism industry, with a succession of gastronomic writings.

Gasztronómiai könyvei a legjobb és legismertebb ilyen tárgyú munkák közé tartoznak. Idegen nyelvű munkáival, szakácskiállításokon és bemutatókon népszerűsítette a magyar konyhát és fellendítette az idegenforgalmat. A magyar vendéglős és szállodás szakma egyik vezető egyénisége volt. Tanácsaival készült Karinthy Frigyes: Vendéget látni, vendégnek lenni című könyve (Budapest, 1933).
His memory and name are still preserved in books and articles written about him, the Gundel Restaurant in the City Park, the Charles Gundel Hospitality and Tourism Vocational School on Ecseri Road, and the countless meals, competitions, contests and awards that have been marked with his name. Gundel's tangible and written memories are treasured by the Hungarian Museum of Trade and Hospitality.

In his memory, a quote from Charles Gundel - „A vendéglátás művészete című könyvéből (1934) : „A magyar történelemben még igen nagy művelődéstörténeti terület hever kiaknázatlanul, márpedig fajunk múltjának teljes és tökéletes megismerése megmunkálásuk nélkül hiányos. Ilyen terület, más egyebek között, a magyarság konyhája, étkezésének elemei, főzési babonái, valamint asztali szokásai. A tudomány ezen rögös területének művelése elméleti célunk: felkutatni és egybegyűjteni a magyarság ősi életéből máig a napi és az úri étkezés módját, tartalmát, köznapi és ünnepi asztali szokásait, nemkülönben a magyar főzés módjait és készségeit, tárgyi emlékeit. Konyhánk, ételeink, akárcsak a zenénk, a nyelvünk, elütnek a nyugati népekéitől, azonban ezzel kapcsolatban megállapíthatjuk azt is, hogy nem a magyarság hátrányára. Mindezt ismerni nemcsak érdekes, hanem hasznos is.”