Herta Heuwer is credited with creating currywurst in Berlin in 1949, according to the dish’s standard origin story.
Heuwer ran a snack stand in the Charlottenburg district of West Berlin. The commonly repeated account says that she obtained ketchup or tomato-based ingredients and curry powder from British soldiers, combined them with spices, and served the sauce over sliced steamed or fried pork sausage.
Currywurst became a major German fast-food dish. It is usually served with fries or a bread roll, and the sauce varies from stand to stand. Berlin-style versions generally use a sausage without its casing, while other German regions have their own preferred preparations.
The origin story is celebrated in Berlin, although historians have noted competing claims and uncertainties about the precise recipe’s development. Heuwer’s name remains the canonical answer because her snack stand and 1949 date are central to the dish’s public history.