History
Of the House of Viennese Innkeepers
The history of the House of Viennese Innkeepers
Originally, there were two buildings at the address Judenplatz 3-4, 1010 Vienna. In 1875 the two buildings were bought by the Cooperative of Innkeepers of Vienna and in 1895 they were replaced by the present house designed by the architect Ludwig Schöne. A memorial plaque commemorates the apartment of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who lived in an apartment on the third floor from 1783 - 1784.
History of the Gastgewerbefachschule am Judenplatz - the GAFA
Since 1869, the house has played an essential role in gastronomic education. All the major gastronomic schools in the Vienna area were housed in this building. Today, the House of Viennese Gastronomy is home to the renowned Gastgewerbefachschule with the Höhere Lehranstalt für Tourismus and the Patisserie Lehrgang.
GAFA was founded in 1956 as the "Private Wiener Gastwirte Fach- und Kochschule".
The three-year technical school developed splendidly from the beginning and the number of students grew steadily. The first patisserie course started in 1992. Since 1995, there has been an advanced course for tourism and gastronomy management with a Matura degree.
Among the directors of the school were Eduard Mayer, the famous television chef Franz Zodl, the current director of the module Werner Schnabl and director Werner Sedlacek.
Director David Grandegger has been responsible for leading GAFA since 2022.
David Grandegger, BEd., Principal of the Hospitality Management School:
“As director of the Hotel and Restaurant Management School on Judenplatz, it is a special pleasure for me to lead a school that prepares students for life, and I am fully aware of the great responsibility this entails. The school’s mission goes far beyond simply imparting knowledge: we guide young people on their path to the future and lay a realistic foundation for their future lives and careers.”
In doing so, I have the privilege of carrying on a valuable legacy—one defined by dedication, community, and a commitment to preparing students as best as possible for the challenges of their time and the future. Our students represent the future potential of the hospitality and tourism industries. They possess the ideas, talents, and skills that will shape the society of tomorrow.
That is why we place great emphasis on keeping our teaching up to date. For us, modern education means combining knowledge with practical relevance, responsibility, and humanity. Only in this way can young people grow into self-confident, competent, and responsible individuals.
It is a great honor for me to lead this school. I am particularly proud of our dedicated faculty, who, with their passion, expertise, and daily commitment, help make our school a place of learning, growth, and community.
Together, we are creating a school that not only imparts knowledge but also prepares young people for life.
"We are the GAFA family"