The Romantik Hotel Markusturm is one of the oldest hospitality establishments in Rothenburg, with one of the longest family traditions as well. The following chronicle shows the significant experiences this house has witnessed and the role our family has played in its history:
The miller's daughter, Margarete Weber, receives the Hotel Markusturm as her dowry and runs it with Friedrich Reinwald in the first generation.
SBy now, the Markusturm is already hosting guests from around the world: America, Brazil, Russia...
Expansion of the second floor.
As one of the first hotels, it receives electric lighting, running water, and a telephone line (telephone number 70).
The hotel survives World War I without any damage.
As one of the first hotels, it introduces shared bathrooms on each floor.
Inflation. A night’s stay costs between 500 billion and 1 trillion Reichsmarks.
Thea and Ernst Reinwald marry on the voyage to America and work at Playland amusement park in San Francisco.
Thea and Ernst return to Germany and run the hotel as the second generation.
The hotel serves as housing for ethnic Germans forced to leave Russia.
The hotel serves as a hospital for soldiers during World War II.
Margarete has sandbags placed in the attic to be prepared in case of bomb attacks. The hotel survives World War II without any damage.
The hotel is used as housing for American officers.
The most expensive and popular dish is a Chateaubriand for two people, costing 14 DM. The turtle soup costs 1.50 DM.
Son Ernst “Erni” joins the family business and runs it with his wife, Marianne.
Birth of Gabriele.
Birth of Stephan.
Marianne and Otto Berger take over the hotel as the third generation.
The first rooms with private bathrooms are added in the renovated rear building – a real sensation!
The hotel becomes a member of Romantik Hotels & Restaurants International.
Stephan and Lilo Berger run the hotel as the fourth generation.
We send our first email! We even set up a guest computer so our guests can communicate with their loved ones at home.
Birth of Lissy.
After renovations, the first non-smoking rooms are created.
The hotel has been in the family for 100 years.
Stephan Berger takes up beer brewing again – initially as a hobby.
The Lehman crisis spreads to Europe. The Markusturm survives this period as well.
Insulation and renovation of the inner courtyard into an Italian-style idyll. The last smoking room, No. 106, is transformed into the first top-of-the-line suite.
As part of the insulation of the side façade, rooms 128, 129, and 130 receive their long-awaited facelift.
Unplanned core renovation of the apartments in the great-grandmother's house on Goldene Ringgasse.
The hotel has been in the family for 120 years.
Facade repainting: The shutters now shine in tomato red. Six months of construction result in four new family suites. We bid farewell to rooms 104, 114, and 116. The old tiled stove from the attic is reintegrated into the hotel and placed in a place of honor in the Deuschl Suite.
8 months of lockdown.
Finally, back to normal operations on June 4th.
The Markusstube is restored. The Anna Catharina Wedding Suite gets a facelift. The last remaining single room, No. 123, undergoes a complete renovation and is transformed into a deluxe suite, with the original timber frame exposed.
The hotel has been in the family for 125 years.
Honored as one of the first members of Romantik Hotels: a remarkable 50 years of membership, during which we have helped shape the brand.