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Kotányi is a leading and traditional Austrian spice merchant based in Wolkersdorf in the Weinviertel in Lower Austria. The group consists of six subsidiaries in Eastern Europe. The product range comprises about 4,500 different articles.

History
The company was founded in 1881 by János Kotányi, who immigrated to Vienna from Szeged in Hungary. Originally, he processed the Hungarian pepper into paprika powder in his hometown. In 1887 the companyJános Kotányi was registered in Vienna after János Kotányi had founded the company Kotányi & Oberländer with a partner one year earlier, but soon afterwards liquidated it.

In the 1920s, he also expanded paprika production to include other spices and established more stores in Budapest, Berlin, Munich, Boston, and New York.

In 1925, the son Hans Kotányi (*1888), the younger brother of Marianne Kotányi, took over the company after attending a commercial academy. None of the three younger sisters joined the company. In 1928 János Kotányi died.

The company itself was one of the first in Austria to be aryanised in 1938. Hans Kotányi sold it to Georg Kohland was deported one hour later to the KZ Dachau where he killed himself on April 28th 1938. The Family emigrated to England.

Charlotte, the widow of Hans Kotányi and her son Friedrich Walter returned to Austria in 1954 and the company was reopened under the name Erste österreichische Paprikamühle Johann Kotányi.

After the death of Friedrich Kotányi his nephew Erwin Kotányi (* 1957) took over the company in 1981.

In the 1990s and 2000s, branches were established in other Eastern and Central European countries and other brands were acquired. The export share is 60%. In Austria itself, the company holds a market share of 80%.