Top chefs in Dresden: TUD Dresden University of Technology — together with the SLUB Dresden — add a wealth of exquisite cooking creations to the German Archive of Culinary Arts

Celebrating at the Saxon State and University Library (SLUB) in Dresden, the top chefs Christian Bau***, Nils Henkel* (***/**), Jörg Müller (**/*), Andreas Rieger (*) and Erich Schwingshackl* (**) each received awards for one of their culinary works, which will also be included in the German Archive of Culinary Arts.

© André Wirsig

From braised eggplant to roast pork: They all set new standards in the art of cooking with outstanding creations and are exemplary representatives of today's culinary artistry. The renowned “gastrosopher” and gourmet critic Jürgen Dollase has compiled comprehensive documentation of their dishes and has now presented it to the German Archive of Culinary Arts. The high-class culinary creations and dishes typical of the time of the aforementioned chefs will be documented so precisely that their preparation and gustatory perception can be comprehensibly reconstructed by later generations. In 2023, TUD Dresden University of Technology and the SLUB Dresden jointly initiated this unique series of taste testimonies, in which 15 works from the pinnacle of culinary art are now preserved for the future.

Katrin Stump, Director General of the SLUB Dresden, states: "The taste testimonies are a great enrichment for the German Archive of Culinary Art's collection, which is truly unique in Germany, as they offer scientists outstanding sources for researching German culinary art of the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries. We are delighted to be able to capture five more creations from the peak of culinary art for future generations and to be able to honor one of the most important chefs of our time this year, Christian Bau, who has been awarded three Michelin stars every year for 20 years."

Prof. Ursula Staudinger, Rector of TUD added: "With today's inclusion of the five new taste testimonies by five top chefs in the German Archive of Culinary Arts, we are sending a further signal of the vitality, diversity and importance of culinary art as a subject of research, teaching and society. The tasting experience is made up of physiological processes as well as historical, cultural and autobiographical interpretations of these sensations. The newly recorded dishes, which document exemplary culinary creations of our time, also bear witness to this. I am delighted that today, in the presence of the top, honored chefs and our long-standing partner - the renowned gastrosopher and gastronomy critic Jürgen Dollase - we are able to preserve further manifestations of the art of cooking. This confirms the importance of the German Archive of Culinary Arts for science and society alike."

After presenting the certificates and specially created vessel statuettes to the top chefs (from left to right): Katrin Stump, Andreas Rieger, Nils Henkel, Jürgen Dollase, Christian Bau, Jörg Müller, Erich Schwingshackl, Prof. Ursula Staudinger.

© André Wirsig

The records include detailed step-by-step instructions for preparing and serving the various culinary creations, tasting notes, comparisons and discussions of examples from national and international cookbooks, as well as concise ratings and classifications. In addition, Jürgen Dollase has conducted in-depth interviews with all the chefs, which are also included in the records.

Jürgen Dollase emphasizes: "This year's taste documentation shows a particularly broad spectrum of culinary excellence, ranging from the classics of German regional cuisine to classic French cuisine, as well as very different modern to avant-garde cuisines at the very highest level - including the most creative German vegetable chef Nils Henkel; Jörg Müller, the legendary master of classic cuisine; the wonderfully traditionally rooted taste cultures of Erich Schwingshackl; Andreas Rieger, the most radical innovator we have ever had; not forgetting the world-class individuality of Christian Bau, who has created a fascinating cosmos of his own."

To mark the ceremonial inclusion of their creations in the German Archive of Culinary Arts, the chefs received certificates and specially designed porcelain by Berlin designer Stefanie Hering. “When I found out about the German Archive of Culinary Arts’ taste testimonies project, I was really excited to get involved” says Stefanie Hering. “The fine art of cooking is closely linked to my work, which provides the appropriate stage for the works of top chefs. It was a great honor and pleasure for me to create a series of unique porcelain statuettes to celebrate the selected dishes and their creators, as a permanent reminder of this award.”

To mark the bestowal, Christian Bau***, Nils Henkel* (***/**), Jörg Müller (**/*), Andreas Rieger (*) and Erich Schwingshackl* (**) prepared their culinary creations for a dinner with invited guests at the Bülow Palais restaurant in Dresden on November 24, 2025.

The taste testimonies are available at www.slubdd.de/geschmacksdokumentationen. They are freely accessible to researchers and the public alike. 

Free-to-use images from the ceremony on November 24, 2025, as well as photos of the documented dishes, can be downloaded here: www.slubdd.de/pressebildergeschmack

Background information

About Jürgen Dollase

Jürgen Dollase is considered one of the most important food critics in Germany and has been publishing culinary texts and gastronomy reviews since 1999. Born in Oberhausen in 1948, he first studied art, music and philosophy at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (Art Academy) and later in Cologne. From 1971 to 1983 he was the head and keyboardist of the art rock band Wallenstein. It was only after turning 35 and with some input from his wife that he came to enjoy finer food and cooking, which he explored with an increasing passion in the years that followed. His contributions to magazines, newspapers, and journals such as FAZ (since 1999), Feinschmecker, Kunstzeitung, Port Culinaire, his blog” Eat-Drink-Think," as well as his essays and books - most notably Geschmacksschule (School of Taste) - have become standard works of food and gastronomy criticism, theory and practice of cooking and eating.

The top chefs and their culinary work

Christian Bau*** | Victor's Fine Dining by Christian Bau
Victor's Fine Dining by Christian Bau has continuously boasted three Michelin stars since 2005, making it one of the highest-rated restaurants in Germany. Christian Bau's path led him from being the perfect representative of classic, well-founded cuisine to the realization of a thoroughly individual, yet always technically outstanding cooking style inspired by Japanese cuisine, which has made him one of the most creative and influential chefs on a national and international level.
Signature dish: Japanese Sea (European-Japanese cuisine)

Nils Henkel* (***/**) | Das Bootshaus | Papa Rhein
Nils Henkel has been head chef at the "Bootshaus" restaurant in the "Papa Rhein" hotel in Bingen since 2020. His culinary work exemplifies the remarkable level of quality that vegetable-based cuisine has achieved in his hands. With the utmost technical precision and taste concepts that he has developed over many years in elite gastronomy, Henkel repeatedly creates new flavors that set new professional standards with their visual and aromatic appeal and reach a wide audience.
Signature dish: Braised eggplant - tandoori broth, miso, horseradish, peas (vegetable-based cuisine)

Jörg Müller (**/*) | Restaurant Jörg Müller
Jörg Müller has been head chef and patron of "Restaurant Jörg Müller" in Westerland/Sylt since 1988. His culinary work exemplifies the craftsmanship and flavor of dishes based on classic French cuisine. More than almost any other chef of his generation, Jörg Müller's personal and professional social experience and his extremely precise and balanced taste comprehension have enabled him to develop and create standard-setting interpretations of great works of classical culinary art. In 2014, Müller announced that he would forgo awards in the future and continue to run his restaurant without Michelin stars.
Signature dish: Quail crépinette on Périgord truffle risotto (classic exquisite cuisine)

Andreas Rieger (*) | formerly Einsunternull, currently Michelberger Hotel
Andreas Rieger, former head chef at the "Einsunternull" restaurant in Berlin, is currently head of research & development and co-managing director at the "Michelberger Hotel" in Berlin. His culinary work exemplifies the working methods of one of Germany's most creative chefs — at a time when the art of cooking in Berlin in particular was taking a much more regional, individual and avant-garde path. Andreas Rieger's work benefits from his in-depth knowledge of an array of new cooking techniques as well as a new taste aesthetic, which he has developed in a highly differentiated and reflective manner and which has significantly added new touch to the art of cooking.
Signature dish: Juniper, heather, buckwheat (regional, individual, avant-garde cuisine)

Erich Schwingshackl* (**) | Schwingshackl Esskultur and Schwingshackl Heimatküche
Erich Schwingshackl is head chef at "Schwingshackl Esskultur" and "Schwingshackl Heimatküche" in Bernried. His culinary oeuvre presents a smorgasbord of taste that demonstrates the possibilities of this traditional dish in such a convincing and exemplary way in terms of craftsmanship and flavor that it is hard to find today. Erich Schwingshackl's version, which tastes as good as it is sensorially extensive, is a kind of emancipation of roast pork and its culinary perspectives, which points out that the potential of our regional cuisine/our traditional dishes is, of course, great enough for the finest perspectives.
Signature dish: Two kinds of roast pork from the neck and shoulder with roasted Serviettenknödel, Bavarian cabbage and natural juice (traditional cuisine)

German Archive of Culinary Arts

The Saxon State Library – Dresden State and University Library (SLUB Dresden) and TUD Dresden University of Technology founded the German Archive of Culinary Arts at SLUB Dresden on October 10, 2022. The extensive culinary publications collection, including manuscripts, books and journals as well as menus, commercial graphics, photographs and audiovisual media, is one of the most significant of its kind in Germany. Its highlights include collections of Ernst Birsner, Walter Putz, Wolfram Siebeck and Eckart Witzigmann. It forms the basis for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research in the humanities, cultural studies and natural sciences regarding culinary art, dining culture and nutritional science as well as their impact on culture and society over the ages, as already successfully established at TUD. The SLUB and TUD invigorate the scientific and societal discourse related to nutrition and culinary arts by organizing events, exhibitions, participatory formats, and publications, thus establishing the German Archive of Culinary Arts as a pivotal player in research, teaching, and the transfer of knowledge to society.

Contact

Annemarie Grohmann, M.A.
SLUB Dresden Press Officer
Tel: +49 351 4677-342
Email:

Matthias Fejes
TUD Press Officer
Tel.: +49 351 463-32882
Email: