The first coffee houses in Europe appeared not as the result of trade or commerce, but actually from war. After the Ottomans conquered Belgrade (now in Serbia) in 1521, they established the first kafana (coffee house) there in 1522. This appears to be the oldest documented “cafe” on European soil — albeit under Turkish control at the time. Like in other regions, the emergence of kafanas changed the lifestyle of the town and became a centre for news, business events, entertainment and political plotting.
A similar event occurred in 1526, where the Turks triumphed over the Hungarian forces in the Battle of Mohács — resulting in the decisive capture of a significant portion of Hungary. The Turks brought coffee beans with them in this campaign and subsequently established coffee houses in Hungary for the first time.
Suleiman the Magnificent — the sultan of the Ottoman empire — also tried to capture Vienna (now in Austria) in the 1529 “Siege of Vienna”. Like other campaigns, the Turks brought their favoured beverage along in their supplies, making this the first time that coffee beans reached Viennese soil. However, Suleiman the Magnificent and his army were ultimately repulsed in the siege. Hence it was more than 100 years later, around 1645, when Vienna got its first coffee house. But that’s a tale for another time.
Read more: https://serbia.com/the-first-coffee-house-in-europe/
