science

Strausse

Strausse is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Strausse rather than just read about it. In short: A Strausse or Strausswirtschaft (also Strauße or Straußwirtschaft) is a type of wine tavern in winegrowing areas of German-speaking countries that is only open during certain times of the year. Typically it is a pub run by winegrowers and winemakers themselves, in which they sell their own wine directly to the public.

Key takeaways

Strausse belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Strausse to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Strausse from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A Strausse or Strausswirtschaft (also Strauße or Straußwirtschaft) is a type of wine tavern in winegrowing areas of German-speaking countries that is only open during certain times of the year. Typically it is a pub run by winegrowers and winemakers themselves, in which they sell their own wine directly to the public. The food served needs to be simple, regional cold dishes. Other expressions like Besenwirtschaft and Besenschänke ("broom pub"), Rädlewirtschaft ("cyclists' pub") as well as Hecken- or Häckerwirtschaft are also common.

Characterization A Strausswirtschaft is essentially understood to be a winemaker serving his own wine on his own premises. These seasonal inns are not subject to normal business laws and are thus not obliged to have a licence or to pay extra taxes. They must, however, fulfil certain conditions instead. These conditions vary from state to state but they are in general agreement on certain essential points (see "Legal aspects" below). The kinds of locations in which a Strausswirtschaft can be found can vary considerably. Besides ones furnished like ordinary pubs there are also simple barns where benches and tables have been temporarily set up to accommodate guests. In earlier decades some winegrowers even cleared their flats or the stables to run such a tavern. In Austria this kind of pub is called a Buschenschank or Heuriger. The name is derived from a bar or post to which a so-called Föhrenbusch or a Reisigbesen (a kind of besom or broom) was attached. This helps to explain another expression associated with the Strausswirtschaft: Ausg'steckt is' ("It is attached"). By attaching the bar outside, the pub owner was informing the tax collector about the pub's tax liability. The Buschenschank and the expression Ausg'steckt is' can be traced back to a regulation by Empress Maria Theresia.

Origins The enactment "Capitulare de villis vel curtis imperii" by Charlemagne is often mentioned as the historical standard for the Strausswirtschaft. It enabled winemakers to sell their own products free of business tax. The Strausswirtschaft (Strauss – German for bunch of flowers; Wirtschaft – pub, inn) had to be marked as such by a bunch of flowers put up at the entrance. Typical dishes offered are rather simple and rich. Regional specialities are for instance:

Schlachtplatte (black pudding, liverwurst and sauerkraut) Spundekäs in Rhenish Hesse and the Rheingau Weck, Worscht un Woi in Rhenish Hesse, the Rheingau and the Palatinate Pfälzer Saumagen (Palatine sow's stomach) Maultaschen (Swabian pockets) with potato salad Winzerteller (sausage and cheese dish) Wurstsalat (sausage salad) Zwiebelkuchen (onion pie) Flammkuchen (Tarte flambée) Bratwurst and Kraut Blaue Zipfel (in Franconia) Dressed Camembert (in Franconia) Kuhkäs (in Franconia - a cheese dish) Elaborate dishes are not allowed.

Legal aspects Almost nowhere are Strausswirtschaften considered restaurants, which means that owners do not need a concession. Nevertheless, the trade office needs to be notified in advance about the period during which the Strausswirtschaft intends to sell food and drink. Although Strausswirtschaften do not need a licence, there are certain laws they have to follow. Among other things, a Strausswirtschaften is not allowed to offer lodging or engage in trade. Food and beverage must be served at the place of production. It is forbidden to rent any extra facilities for serving food and beverage. The following rules need to be respected:

Selling food and drink is limited to four months a year The opening times can be divided into two periods. There is a maximum capacity of 40 seats. There are no rules, however, dictating the number of people permitted to squeeze in on the benches or likewise the number of people allowed to stand around drinking their wine. Exception: In Rhineland-Palatinate there is no limit on the number of seats. A minimum of hygiene has to be considered and is subject to public control Strausswirtschaften are only allowed to serve very simple dishes. Hot sausages and loin ribs with sauerkraut are given as such an example in the regulations as well as coffee and cake. Beer and other alcoholic beverages (excluding wine) must not be served. Home distilled spirits, however, are allowed. Alongside wine and/or cider at least one non-alcoholic drink has to be offered. Tap water is explicitly excluded.

Similar economies

Austria In Austria there are similar forms of such an economy with the "Buschenschank" or with the Heuriger (derived from "Heurigen" wine, which by law may only be served as a Heuriger up to a certain age). While in the Buschenschank - regulated in § 111 of the Austrian Trade Regulations and in the Buschenschank laws as provincial laws of the federal states - alcoholic beverages from the company's own premises as well as cold dishes may be offered, a trade license is required for the expansion to include hot dishes (for a Heurigen buffet) for a hospitality business. The name "Buschenschank" is derived from a pole to which a green bush or brushwood broom is stuck in front of the entrance. In Vienna, for example, this "Buschenschankzeichen [...] has to consist of a pine, fir or spruce bush." (Section 6 (2) Vienna Buschenschankgesetz). In parts of Lower Austria, the Buschenschankzeichen is a plaited straw wreath.

Switzerland This special form of “bar areas and restaurants” as a sideline for agricultural businesses is regulated in Switzerland in the respective cantonal hospitality laws and, depending on the region, is also called “Besenbeiz”, “Besenwirtschaft” or “Buschenschenke”.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Strausse

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Strausse claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Strausse before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Strausse ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Strausse

In research: Strausse appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Strausse in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Strausse is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics German wine, Restaurants by type, Restaurants in Germany, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Strausse outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Strausse in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Strausse means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Strausse out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Strausse in simple terms?

Why does Strausse matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Strausse?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Strausse.