The Haussner's Restaurant legend began in 1927 when master chef William Henry
Haussner, newly arrived from Germany, opened his eponymous restaurant in East
Baltimore. Soon afterward, he met German-born Frances Wilke, who became
his bride three weeks later. Together they forged a solid partnership, personally and
professionally, and over the next three decades pursued their shared passion for
art, using the restaurant as their exhibition gallery.

Haussner’s Restaurant will change its focus on September 30th 1999 to become
an educational institute to train young people for the culinary and tourism world.

Of particular interest to the media and covered extensively in the weeks prior to
the sale was the first lot, a mammoth ball of string that had been amassed throughout
the life of the restaurant from the laundry twine that had secured bundles of napkins
(est. $200/400). The 4' tall curiosity weighed in at 825 pounds and, if unrolled,
would have extended 337½ miles. It had amused several generations of restaurant
patrons, and many attending the auction expressed hopes that this most parochial of
all relics might remain in Baltimore.

On October 1st the Haussner Corporation will donate the building and all of
its culinary contents to the Baltimore International College, and the site in
the 3200 block of Eastern Avenue is to be called William and Frances
Haussner Campus of the rapidly-expanding culinary institute.

Sotheby's New York had taken in $10,127,325 with its November 2, 1999
Auction of 145 important paintings from the Haussner's collection