 By the time of the Anschluss of 1938, Altmann and Kühne was Vienna's fourth chocolatier - a "smaller but upscale producer" trailing after the "big three" of Victor Schmidt, Heller and Küfferle.After the Nazi takeover Emile Altmann and Ernst Kühne, who were Jewish, fled to New York City.The business survived through the Nazi years and World War II owing to the persistence of their employee, Mrs. Mercek.