To at least which century can the Austrian kipferl be dated?

The Austrian kipferl can be dated to at least the 13th century.

Kipferl is an Austrian crescent-shaped pastry or bread roll regarded as an inspiration for the French croissant. References to the form reach back at least to the 13th century, although the historical record does not describe it as identical to the modern laminated croissant. Early kipferl came in various shapes and could be plain or made with nuts and other fillings.

That distinction matters because the kipferl and croissant are related, but not interchangeable. Traditional kipferl is generally made from a simpler yeast dough and has a bread-roll character. The modern croissant uses yeast-leavened dough laminated with butter, producing many thin layers and a flaky texture.

Popular stories claim that the crescent shape was invented in Vienna after a victory over Ottoman forces, especially during the 1683 siege. Historians treat those stories cautiously because contemporary evidence is lacking. The older dating of kipferl supports its Austrian pastry history, but it does not establish the later legends or prove that a 13th-century kipferl was already a modern croissant.