The invention of currywurst is attributed to Herta Heuwer in Berlin in 1949, after she obtained ketchup, or possibly Worcestershire sauce, and curry powder from British soldiers in Germany.

Heuwer started selling them at a stand in Charlottenburg, where it became popular with construction workers rebuilding the devastated city.

[14] The song "Currywurst" on Herbert Grönemeyer's 1982 album Total Egal is a tribute to the snack.

[15] The 1993 novel Die Entdeckung der Currywurst (English title: "The Invention of Curried Sausage", ISBN 978-0811212977) by Uwe Timm was made into a 1998 play and a 2008 film both of the same name.

The Deutsches Currywurst Museum opened in Berlin in August 2009, commemorating the 60th anniversary of its creation.

[4][10] Curator Martin Loewer said "No other national German dish inspires so much history and has so many well-known fans".