Vilém Vrabec

Vilém Vrabec (born 8 April 1901 in Horní Růžodole near Liberec, died 27 January 1983 in Prague) is a Czech cook and teacher, cookbook author. Curriculum vitae

He came from a very poor family. His culinary talent was revealed during elementary school, but his parents could not afford to continue his education. In 1918 he went to Berlin where he studied in industrial school. In order to cover the cost of learning he worked in the kitchen, he also dealt with arranging exhibitions in Kempiñski's shop - the biggest delicatessen in the capital of Germany. The shortage forced him, however, one year to stop learning and return to the country. Utilizing his skills at Kempinski, he hired at the Lipper's delicatessen in Prague, where he arranged exhibitions and developed recipes for delicatessen. The work in the shop did not bring him satisfaction and he started traveling in Europe. He worked in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and even in Savoy, London, as a kitchen assistant, accompanied by well-known chefs, often paying only for accommodation and food.

Rich international experience returned to the Czech Republic. He found employment at the Puppa Restaurant in Karlovy Vary, where he prepared cold dishes and then at the Esplanada Restaurant in Mariánské Lázně. In 1926, the art school in Ostrava employed Vrabca to teach courses in the decoration of the table and arrangement of dishes. The course was so popular among the listeners that Vrabec had received a special diploma from the Minister of Education Milana Hodža, who gave him the opportunity to conduct culinary courses. To fulfill his biggest dream - the opening of a private gastronomic school went on tour in Czechoslovakia, conducting cooking courses and collecting funds. In Prague, on the corner of Štěpánskéj and Řeznickéj streets, the Vilema Vrabč school was opened.

In 1948, the school was nationalized by the communist authorities of Czechoslovakia, and Vrabec was only allowed to lead classes in it. He worked as a pedagogue until 1961 when he retired. For the rest of his life he wrote cookbooks and guides. He died the day after he handed the manuscript of his last book to the printing press. Books on cuisine by Viléma Vrabec Bibliography

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