THERESIA HAUER®
PATISSERIE & CONFISERIE
The core of the company and brand
of Leconte Chocolatiers.
For 176 years, all our products and brands have come from the same entrepreneurial family:
Hauer, Leiningen, Lorenz, Schmid, and Lehner.
With this heritage dating back to 1850, our company stands for innovative, top-quality products that elegantly blend tradition with the demands of the times.
The bellows of the Piarist Church „Maria Treu“ organ served as the model for Theresia Hauer’s innovative circulating-air oven.
For instance, the flour-free baking process requires a constant flow of circulating air. The design of the organ—and specifically its bellows—in the nearby Piarist Church of Maria Treu served as the model for this. Theresia Hauer had similar bellows installed on both sides of her oven, operated by her staff throughout the entire baking process. This allowed her gluten-free cakes to rise even without flour.
The extent to which Theresia Hauer was ahead of her time with this technical innovation is remarkable, given that the first commercially available convection oven was not developed until more than a century later, in the 1960s.
The strong female founder.
Theresia Hauer was born in 1829 in Vienna’s Josefstadt district, the daughter of an innkeeper. From an early age, she worked in her parents' establishment—located at the corner of Schlösselgasse and Wickenburggasse and featuring an adjoining pastry shop and confectionery—and took over the business at the age of just 21 following her father's untimely death in 1850.
TheNougat-Marzipan-Praline.
At Theresia Hauer’s chocolate manufactory, the finest nougat-marzipan pralines with a distinctive flavor are crafted, enrobed in dark or white chocolate (LIPIZZANER® KUGEL).
In the mid-19th century, pralines were typically made by skewering nuts or fruit on sticks and rolling them in chocolate.
Conventional pralines cannot withstand sustained heat and melt rapidly. Theresia Hauer—the great-great-grandmother of the current owners of LECONTE CHOCOLATIERS®—addressed this particular challenge in a highly innovative way:
As a first step, she placed the heat-sensitive nougat filling at the center. She then encased it in the finest marzipan, a material that remains virtually unmeltable in any climate. However, she found the appearance of marzipan as an outer layer unappealing.
To prevent the marzipan from drying out, it had to be dipped in chocolate. Yet, to avoid recreating the heat-resistance problem, Theresia Hauer chose a layer of milk chocolate followed by a layer of dark chocolate. The resulting tension between these two chocolate layers provided enhanced heat resistance and ensured a consistently crisp, fresh snap.
Pioneer of white chocolate.
However, an innovative idea leads them to an even more interesting solution:
Theresia Hauer is constantly conducting research and experiments to extend the heat stability achieved through the praline's internal structure all the way to its surface. It helps that she produces her own cocoa powder from carefully selected cocoa beans.
When her brother—a master builder from the late Ringstraße era and owner of a marble quarry—developed a rotary granulate mill to finely crush his marble fragments, his sister Theresia Hauer visited him with a sack of prepared cocoa beans to see if they could be ground into powder more quickly using his equipment than by the conventional, labor- and time-intensive method of rubbing.
In doing so, she underestimates the significantly accelerated processing time and extracts from the mill not only the cocoa powder initially expected but also the cocoa butter pressed out of it. By discovering that cocoa butter—which she calls "l'essence absolue de la fève de cacao" (the absolute essence of the cocoa bean)—could be obtained by pressing the cocoa powder, she possesses, for the first time, the raw material needed to produce white chocolate.
Through further experiments, Theresia Hauer developed a white chocolate glaze that she applied to her pralines at a very high temperature before rapidly cooling them. Since the melting point is higher than that of dark chocolate, the products coated with it are extremely heat-resistant and can be produced year-round. She thus possessed a more heat-resistant white chocolate glaze for pralines (LIPIZZAN®CHOCOLATE BALL) and chocolate cakes (LIPIZZAN®CAKE)—both of which were global sensations in the mid-19th century.
With these new recipes for cakes and pralines, Theresia Hauer also establishes herself as a pioneer of white chocolate.
This lays the foundation for the global export of the nougat-marzipan balls and innovative gluten-free chocolate cakes.
„Lipizzan“ Chocolate Balls.
Naturally, Theresia Hauer uses her white chocolate as a glaze for both her innovative chocolate balls and her moist, fresh, gluten-free chocolate cakes.
Due to a color that was entirely new for chocolate, the white chocolate sphere earned the nickname "Lipizzaner Sphere" among the Viennese, while her white cakes became known as "Lipizzaner Cakes."
Trademark law did not yet exist in the mid-19th century. It was not until 1954—almost 100 years later—that the LIPIZZAN® brand was first registered in Austria for chocolate, followed by its registration as an international trademark in 1999.
It was above all thanks to their white chocolate glaze that Theresia Hauer’s new creations achieved worldwide fame. The LIPIZZAN® BALLS and the LIPIZZAN® CAKES were born.
„It´s Chocolate, and it Comes in a Hat“
Im 19. Jahrhundert liefert Theresia Hauer Ihre Torten und Pralinen gern in formstabilen Hutschachteln aus. Daran erinnert das aktuelle Design.
The triangular hat box.
The triangular shape of some of our packaging alludes to the Pyramid of Cheops—a site visited repeatedly by Theresia Hauer’s son-in-law, Karl Count of Leiningen-Billigheim, and his wife, Countess Christine, during his participation in the Sphinx excavations, where they would bring along spheres and cakes from the family manufactory.
1875
The Branch at Vienna's Stephansplatz.
The success of its sensational white chocolate products led the Theresia Hauer Chocolade Manufactur to open an exclusive branch at Stephansplatz—in the adjacent Vienna city center—in 1875, alongside its production facility in Vienna’s Josefstadt district.
1895
The Lipizzan®Cake and Love.
Karl Count of Leiningen, an Egyptologist and diplomat in Bavarian service, is in Vienna on official business in 1895, preparing for his journey to Cairo, where he will take part in the excavations of the Sphinx.
When he asked a friend about Viennese chocolate cakes—specifically ones that would remain moist and fresh and be easy to transport to Cairo as gifts—he was recommended the THERESIA HAUER® CAKE and, in particular, the white version known as the LIPIZZAN® CAKE, both of which are available at the city-center shop at
Stephansplatz 6, 1010 Vienna.
Upon his arrival, he is captivated by more than just the cakes; he falls in love with Theresia Hauer’s daughter, Christine, who is helping out in the shop that day.
The honeymoon trip to Cairo becomes the most spectacular export of Theresia Hauer’s Vienna-made cakes and chocolates for that era, earning her valuable recognition.
Christine and Karl are taking these successful products—as exclusive “sweet greetings” from Vienna—onto the international stage of diplomatic representation and exclusive culinary indulgence.
With Karl Graf zu Leiningen, the family also gained a coat of arms and the motto “Numquam retrorsum” both of which continue to represent our company and its products to this day.
The occasion for the “modular”
“Lipizzaner” wedding cake.
The signature white LIPIZZAN® CAKES has been produced in various sizes ever since its inception. Using these modular components—specifically the "Kaisertorte," "King," "Classic," and "Medium"—Theresia Hauer assembled a tiered cake for her daughter’s wedding that remains one of her most beautiful creations to this day.
LIPIZZAN® CAKES serve as ideal modular elements for creating festive, multi-tiered cakes at any time simply by stacking the different sizes.
Vienna, Cairo, Munich, London.
The travels of Count Karl zu Leiningen paved the way for successful export operations. Two white chocolate products in particular—the LIPIZZAN® CAKES and the LIPIZZAN® BALLS—have brought Theresia Hauer international success.
Munich, 1895.
A sales outlet in Munich followed as early as 1895.
London, 1896.
In 1896, another retail outlet for the Theresia Hauer Chocolate Manufactory was opened in London, where she had the honor of supplying HM Queen Victoria with her fine Viennese pastries.
To mark the opening of this shop and the birth of her granddaughter Emilie, she named one of her black tea blends "Lady Emily Tea"—a variety that remains a staple of our tea range to this day.
The 2nd Generation.
After Theresia Hauer's death in 1900, the company was successfully continued by her two daughters, Anna Lorenz in Vienna and Christine Countess of Leiningen.
1934
The 3rd Generation.
Theresia Hauer’s granddaughter, Emilie Lorenz, then took the helm and steered the company through the difficult war and post-war years at its original location in Vienna’s Josefstadt district.
1954
the chocolate brand LIPIZZAN® is registered in Austria for the first time
1960
The 4th Generation.
From 1960 onwards, Annemarie Lehner-Schmid—Theresia Hauer’s great-granddaughter—continued to steer the family business as part of the fourth generation..
1999
International registration of the trademark
LIPIZZAN®
especially for
&
...to link it with our company’s traditional products—a name that has served as the designation for Theresia Hauer’s white chocolate cakes and pralines since 1850.
In the years that followed, the brand became perfectly aligned with our tradition of white chocolate, particularly the gluten-free LIPIZZANER®CAKE and the LIPIZZANER® BALLS.
2004
Founding of Lipizzanerkugel Production- & Distribution Ltd.
Following the first factory sale at the production site, further ones follow with the
THE LIPIZZAN® SHOPS & STORES
with a broader range of quality food and non-food products, starting in 2004 with the branch
in Salzkammergut.
2005
THE LIPIZZAN® at Stephansplatz
In 2005, the new LIPIZZAN® Flagship Store reopened in Vienna’s city center at Stephansplatz 6—part of the Archbishop's Palace—featuring the same product range as in the 1875–1900 period and retaining much of its original 1900 façade and interior furnishings.
In 2012, this historic site—featuring an Old Viennese façade and interior from 1875 that had been carefully preserved until then—unfortunately fell victim to radical remodeling intended to integrate it into the Archdiocese of Vienna’s Cathedral Museum, which was previously located behind it.
2014
With the opening of the shop in the premises of the “Old Cacao Comptoir” at Feldgasse 1 in 2012, a LIPIZZAN® branch returned to Josefstadt—the very district where our company history began in 1850.
2019
THE LIPIZZAN® Rauhensteingasse 4
2020
170th anniversary
Theresia Hauer Cakes and Chocolate Balls und Kugel—the oldest brand division of LECONTE CHOCOLATIERS® and the Lecon Industries Group—is celebrating its 170th anniversary.
2022
The 5th Generation.
Since 2022, the THERESIA HAUER® and LIPIZZAN® brand divisions have been managed by Wolfgang Robert Lehner, the great-great-grandson of Theresia Hauer, representing the fifth generation.
2025
175th Anniversary
THERESIA HAUER® CHOCOLATE BALLS
25th Anniversary
international Trademark LIPIZZAN®
THE TRIBUTE
During this anniversary year in Austria, our renowned international brand products—LIPIZZAN® CAKE & LIPIZZAN®BALL—proudly bear the name of the woman who created their recipes in 1850:
The production of the finest chocolate using grinding and rolling processes.
However, there is another essential aspect—one that fundamentally transforms the use of chocolate—brought about by:
1. the grinding of cocoa beans via a linear grinding and rolling motion, accompanied by
2. the separation of shell and kernel, as well as
3. the grinding of the kernels into fine cocoa powder, accompanied by
4. the release of cocoa butter:
Up to this point, chocolate is a largely viscous substance sold primarily in pharmacies as a medicinal product rather than as a true indulgence.
This grinding and rolling process makes it possible to avoid a viscous chocolate mass and instead produce a delightful, exquisitely smooth product.
This gives rise to a wide range of creative possibilities in the realms of confectionery and pâtisserie—such as Theresia Hauer’s exquisite pralines, particularly her Nougat-Marzipan Balls and chocolate cakes featuring dark and white glazes (LIPIZZAN®BALLS & LIPIZZAN®CAKES).
The delicate chocolate produced from the imported cocoa beans is processed into chocolate chips, thereby enabling easy handling and portioning during further processing.
Import of Cocoa, Coffee, Tea, Herbs & Spices. Overseas trade.
As a result of Karl Graf zu Leiningen’s extensive travels, the importation of cocoa and spices from the international market—as well as overseas trade—was added to the business starting in 1895, commissioned by Theresia Hauer.
LECONTE CHOCOLATIERS® maintains this practice of direct importation and direct contact with many international raw material suppliers to this day, ensuring the consistently high quality of our products.
At the same time, Theresia Hauer’s overseas trading activities laid the foundations for our trading company,
The Core of the Company and Brand
1850 - It all began with an innovative recipe for cakes that stay moist and fresh for longer time.
The production of the finest chocolate using grinding and rolling processes.
„Lipizzan“ Cakes & -Chocolate Balls.
„I´s Chocolate and it Comes in a Halt“
1875 - Branch at Vienna's Stephansplatz.
1895 - The Lipizzan®Cake und Love.
The modular Lipizzan® Wedding Cake
Vienna, Cairo, Munich, London.
Import of Cocoa, Coffee, Tea, Spices and Herbs.
1850
It all began with an innovative recipe for chocolate cakes that stay moist and fresh for longer.
Because traditional Viennese chocolate cakes tend to dry out too quickly due to their flour content—making them entirely unsuitable for shipping according to Theresia Hauer’s quality standards—she developed an innovative recipe. In this version, she completely replaces the flour (which causes dryness) with finely ground almonds and coats the cakes with a fine apricot jam.
The result—provided the cake is stored in a cool, dry place—is a cake that remains moist and fresh for weeks, ensuring a delicious, fresh experience upon arrival, no matter where in the world it is shipped. This process involves specific production details that remain—to this day, under the fifth generation of the same family of owners and entrepreneurs—strictly guarded "sweet" secrets.
1850 / 2026
To this day, our long-established company remains in family hands. In this way, we keep the spirit of our ancestors alive while always staying in tune with the times.
We continue to channel our commitment to innovation into products that have been crafted for over 175 years, constantly discovering fascinating new possibilities and surpassing expectations regarding enjoyment, nutrition, and health.
The MOZART CHÜGELI®—unveiled in 2023 and designed as a travel snack—the heart-warming rum-and-coconut FRIESENNERZKUGEL® (introduced in 2025), and our PHYTO CHOCOLATE® product line—continuously refined since 1960 for those who value their health without wanting to forgo indulgence—are excellent examples of this.
The possibilities for combining chocolate with flavor-enhancing elements and wellness-boosting ingredients seem limitless. Crucially, not only the chocolate itself but also the ingredients and active components are always of the highest quality.
Join us in enjoying the diverse chocolate and cocoa creations born of five generations of innovative spirit and experience dating back to 1850, as well as our perennial "chocolate stars"—foremost among them our nougat-marzipan pralines and gluten-free chocolate cakes.
Made using recipes that have remained unchanged for over 175 years, they invite you to dream of a more beautiful world.
