From that humble beginning, the pretzel became famous across Europe. Mention of the pretiola can be found in books from that time period. The pretzel's shape became a symbol of good luck and many believed the shape was also symbolic of long life and good health. The pretzel's shape decorated many embroideries and other artifacts in Europe.
There is a special coat of arms hanging outside every Austrian pretzel bakery. The coat of arms shows a lion holding a shield with a pretzel shape in the middle. The Viennese king awarded this honor to the pretzel bakers. The story is that in the year 1510, the Turks invaded Vienna by tunneling under the city walls. Even though it was time for the bakers to start the next day's pretzels, they abandoned their baking tasks to defend the city of Vienna. The bakers invaded the tunnels, using their weapons effectively to squash the attack and kill the Turks.