Lorenz Adlon
Encyclopedia
Lorenz Adlon was a German
caterer
, gastronomer
and hotelier
.
. His original name had been Laurenz. He was the sixth out of nine children of the shoemaker Jacob Adlon and his wife Anna Maria Elisabeth, who was an accoucheuse
. The paternal family had been of French
origin, within that region which was historically disputed between Prussia
and France.
Originally, Lorenz Adlon had studied to be a carpenter
, taking an apprenticeship in 1872 at the nationally leading Bembé cabinet-making
workshop of Mainz. Indeed, Adlon would eventually request its services, for furnishing the future Hotel Adlon of Berlin.
, who died just short time after in 1893, in Berlin.
together, for selling what was produced by the many regional vineyard
s.
During those years, Adlon couldn't resist the appeal, often visiting the Holländische Hof hotel of Heidelberg
, there taking note of the German aristocracy and its culinary customs. Adlon also was an athletic person, and -reportedly- he once catered his whole team, in a profitable experience which particularly fueled Adlon's dream for a gastronomic career.
Lorenz Adlon got earnestly interested for gastronomy after a trip to France; after returning from the Franco-Prussian War
, Adlon so started working as an innkeeper
, in 1872. In 1876, Adlon accomplished his first big job in Mainz, catering the crowds during a regional shooting
contest.
In 1878, Lorenz Adlon opened the Raimundigarten restaurant
, a wooden building, built over an abandoned fortification of Mainz, at its northwest, over the bank of the Rhine. Basically oriented for the tourism, it soon became a successful endeavor. Adlon then started exporting Bohemian
Pilsener
beer
abroad, to both Holland and Belgium
.
, which was so attractive as the magnificent new capital of the Second Reich
.
Once there, Adlon began in the business of selling wines. It became so successful, that Adlon's shop of the Wilhelmstrasse would store three million bottles at some point; the value of the investment skyrocketed after a vine
pest of the late 1910s, and -in general- also overmastering the German inflation
.
Meanwhile, Lorenz Adlon kept managing the catering for international events, in 1881 for the festival of gymnastics
of Frankfurt
(Deutschen Turnfest), in 1882 for the Bavarian
Trade exhibition, in 1883 for Amsterdam
's World's Fair
. By then, Lorenz Adlon was enjoying a prosperous financial period.
Subsequently, Adlon started acquiring several restaurants, one after the other. He acquired the Mille Colonnes hotel, at the Rembrandt Square of Amsterdam
. By 1887, Adlon had already acquired a café
at the 62/63 on the patrician Unter den Linden
boulevard of midtown Berlin, to Carl Hiller.
In 1896, Lorenz Adlon together with two other businessmen, Hiller and Rudolf Dressel, managed the main restaurant facilities at the Neuer See
, during the Universal Exposition of Berlin (Gewerbe-Ausstellung). During the event, Adlon got acquainted with the famous director of orchestra
Benjamin Bilse
, by whom Adlon got properly introduced to the high society of Berlin.
Lorenz Adlon then took over Hiller's restaurant at the 55 Unter den Linden
boulevard
. The place already was leading because of its French dishes, and during Adler's management, it became the most exclusive restaurant in Berlin; Adlon then was a recognized socialite. In 1898, Adlon entered into partnership with Teilhaber Klicks, acquiring the 195-room Hotel Continental on the Georgenstraße street, and so Adlon perfected his skills of hotel management
.
In 1899, Lorenz Adlon leased the until then decadent two terraces of the zoo
of Mainz. Revamped by Adlon, the place started serving famous international treats, highlighting the Bouillabaisse
specialty; daily yielding 6,000 daily goldmarks
, it once hosted William II
, whose ensuing friendship meant Adlon's definitive belonging into the German high society
.
Shortly after the turn of the century, Lorenz Adlon agreed with the young emperor William II
, who disliked his very traditional town palace, to establish a nobel hotel in the town. By 1905, Adlon had invested all what he owned, 2 million goldmarks, for the ambitious 17-million-goldmark project. Adlon managed the process, acquiring several available properties round the 1 Unter den Linden
boulevard just besides the Brandenburg Gate
, despite the protests of the Berliners.
The luxurious Hotel Adlon
opened on October 23, 1907. Emperor William inaugurated it, and then praising that its beauty was even superior to his own Royal Palace, he patronised it regularly for his unofficial residence. At the heart of Berlin, the Adlon Hotel became the centre of the social life in the city, and it also hosted all its notable visitors. Before 1914, the aristocracy of all Europe was fond for gathering in it; then -sharing the same area with the most important embassies- the hotel hosted a series of international meetings, relevant to the historical development of the First World War
. However, after the war the so supportive German monarchy was deposed, and so the magnificence of the Adlon Hotel started to dim.
After the war, Lorenz Adlon remained reluctant about acknowledging the dethronement of the monarchs. For instance, he refused driving through the Brandenburg Gate by the central line, which had once been reserved for the German nobility; by this obstinacy, Adlon had suffered a severe street accident in 1918, at that spot. In 1921—again at the same place—Lorenz Adlon suffered a second accident, fatal one this time, being hit by a car.
His son Louis continued managing the hotel until it was burned down by Soviet troops in 1945. His wife Hedda Adlon relates in her autobiography that Louis himself was taken by the Soviets and shot, after they mistook him for a General because a servant called him by his title of "Generaldirektor". Great-grandson Percy Adlon
, a German film and television director, created the film In der glanzvollen Welt des Hotel Adlon in 1996 about the history of the hotel.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
caterer
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
, gastronomer
Gastronomy
Gastronomy is the art or science of food eating. Also, it can be defined as the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine...
and hotelier
Hotel manager
A hotel manager or hotelier is a person who holds a management occupation within a hotel, motel, or resort establishment. Management titles and duties vary by company. In some hotels the title hotel manager or hotelier may solely be referred to the General Manager of the hotel...
.
Early life
Lorenz Adlon was born at MainzMainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
. His original name had been Laurenz. He was the sixth out of nine children of the shoemaker Jacob Adlon and his wife Anna Maria Elisabeth, who was an accoucheuse
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
. The paternal family had been of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
origin, within that region which was historically disputed between Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
and France.
Originally, Lorenz Adlon had studied to be a carpenter
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, taking an apprenticeship in 1872 at the nationally leading Bembé cabinet-making
Cabinet making
Cabinet making is the practice of using various woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture.Cabinet making involves techniques such as creating appropriate joints, dados, bevels, chamfers and shelving systems, the use of finishing tools such as routers to create decorative...
workshop of Mainz. Indeed, Adlon would eventually request its services, for furnishing the future Hotel Adlon of Berlin.
Private life
Lorenz Adlon was married twice. His first wife was Susanne Wannsiedel, the daughter of an hotel manager of Mainz; both had three boys and two girls from 1872 to 1877, but she died in 1878. Adlon got married again to Fanny Claus, a widow from a prosperous family of StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, who died just short time after in 1893, in Berlin.
Mainz
Lorenz Adlon joined a fellow student, opening a wine storeLiquor store
In the United States, Australia and Canada, a liquor store is a type of store that specializes in the sale of alcoholic beverages. In South Africa and Namibia these stores are generally called bottle stores....
together, for selling what was produced by the many regional vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s.
During those years, Adlon couldn't resist the appeal, often visiting the Holländische Hof hotel of Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, there taking note of the German aristocracy and its culinary customs. Adlon also was an athletic person, and -reportedly- he once catered his whole team, in a profitable experience which particularly fueled Adlon's dream for a gastronomic career.
Lorenz Adlon got earnestly interested for gastronomy after a trip to France; after returning from the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, Adlon so started working as an innkeeper
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
, in 1872. In 1876, Adlon accomplished his first big job in Mainz, catering the crowds during a regional shooting
Shooting
Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
contest.
In 1878, Lorenz Adlon opened the Raimundigarten restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, a wooden building, built over an abandoned fortification of Mainz, at its northwest, over the bank of the Rhine. Basically oriented for the tourism, it soon became a successful endeavor. Adlon then started exporting Bohemian
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
Pilsener
Pilsener
Pilsner is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the city of Pilsen , Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, where it has been developed since 1842, when a bottom-fermented beer was first produced. The original Pilsner Urquell beer is produced there today.-Origin:Until the mid-1840s, most ...
beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
abroad, to both Holland and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Berlin
Late in the 1870s, Lorenz Adlon enthusiastically moved to BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, which was so attractive as the magnificent new capital of the Second Reich
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
.
Once there, Adlon began in the business of selling wines. It became so successful, that Adlon's shop of the Wilhelmstrasse would store three million bottles at some point; the value of the investment skyrocketed after a vine
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
pest of the late 1910s, and -in general- also overmastering the German inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
.
Meanwhile, Lorenz Adlon kept managing the catering for international events, in 1881 for the festival of gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
of Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
(Deutschen Turnfest), in 1882 for the Bavarian
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
Trade exhibition, in 1883 for Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
's World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
. By then, Lorenz Adlon was enjoying a prosperous financial period.
Subsequently, Adlon started acquiring several restaurants, one after the other. He acquired the Mille Colonnes hotel, at the Rembrandt Square of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. By 1887, Adlon had already acquired a café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
at the 62/63 on the patrician Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden is a boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is named for its linden trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall between two carriageways....
boulevard of midtown Berlin, to Carl Hiller.
In 1896, Lorenz Adlon together with two other businessmen, Hiller and Rudolf Dressel, managed the main restaurant facilities at the Neuer See
Tiergarten
Tiergarten is a locality within the borough of Mitte, in central Berlin . Notable for the great and homonymous urban park, before German reunification, it was a part of West Berlin...
, during the Universal Exposition of Berlin (Gewerbe-Ausstellung). During the event, Adlon got acquainted with the famous director of orchestra
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Benjamin Bilse
Benjamin Bilse
Benjamin Bilse was a German conductor and composer.Bilse was born in Liegnitz in the Prussian Silesia Province. He obtained a rich musical education, as at the Vienna Conservatory under violinist Joseph Böhm, and played in the orchestra of Johann Strauss I...
, by whom Adlon got properly introduced to the high society of Berlin.
Lorenz Adlon then took over Hiller's restaurant at the 55 Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden is a boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is named for its linden trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall between two carriageways....
boulevard
Boulevard
A Boulevard is type of road, usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the centre, and roadways along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery...
. The place already was leading because of its French dishes, and during Adler's management, it became the most exclusive restaurant in Berlin; Adlon then was a recognized socialite. In 1898, Adlon entered into partnership with Teilhaber Klicks, acquiring the 195-room Hotel Continental on the Georgenstraße street, and so Adlon perfected his skills of hotel management
Hotel manager
A hotel manager or hotelier is a person who holds a management occupation within a hotel, motel, or resort establishment. Management titles and duties vary by company. In some hotels the title hotel manager or hotelier may solely be referred to the General Manager of the hotel...
.
In 1899, Lorenz Adlon leased the until then decadent two terraces of the zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
of Mainz. Revamped by Adlon, the place started serving famous international treats, highlighting the Bouillabaisse
Bouillabaisse
Bouillabaisse is a seafood soup made with various kinds of cooked fish and shellfish and vegetables, flavored with a variety of herbs and spices such as garlic, orange peel, basil, bay leaf, fennel and saffron. Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from the port city of...
specialty; daily yielding 6,000 daily goldmarks
German gold mark
The Goldmark was the currency used in the German Empire from 1873 to 1914.-History:Before unification, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16⅔ grams of pure silver...
, it once hosted William II
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
, whose ensuing friendship meant Adlon's definitive belonging into the German high society
High society (group)
High society refers to a category of people deemed to have greater social status or prestige, and their related affiliations, social events and practices which together define a group variously referred to as "Society" or high society. Such groups are defined by certain key events and cultural...
.
Hotel Adlon
- See main article: Hotel AdlonHotel AdlonHotel Adlon is a hotel on Unter den Linden, the main boulevard in the Berlin city centre, directly opposite the Brandenburg Gate.-First Hotel Adlon 1907-1945:...
Shortly after the turn of the century, Lorenz Adlon agreed with the young emperor William II
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
, who disliked his very traditional town palace, to establish a nobel hotel in the town. By 1905, Adlon had invested all what he owned, 2 million goldmarks, for the ambitious 17-million-goldmark project. Adlon managed the process, acquiring several available properties round the 1 Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden is a boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is named for its linden trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall between two carriageways....
boulevard just besides the Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
, despite the protests of the Berliners.
The luxurious Hotel Adlon
Hotel Adlon
Hotel Adlon is a hotel on Unter den Linden, the main boulevard in the Berlin city centre, directly opposite the Brandenburg Gate.-First Hotel Adlon 1907-1945:...
opened on October 23, 1907. Emperor William inaugurated it, and then praising that its beauty was even superior to his own Royal Palace, he patronised it regularly for his unofficial residence. At the heart of Berlin, the Adlon Hotel became the centre of the social life in the city, and it also hosted all its notable visitors. Before 1914, the aristocracy of all Europe was fond for gathering in it; then -sharing the same area with the most important embassies- the hotel hosted a series of international meetings, relevant to the historical development of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. However, after the war the so supportive German monarchy was deposed, and so the magnificence of the Adlon Hotel started to dim.
Death
His son Louis continued managing the hotel until it was burned down by Soviet troops in 1945. His wife Hedda Adlon relates in her autobiography that Louis himself was taken by the Soviets and shot, after they mistook him for a General because a servant called him by his title of "Generaldirektor". Great-grandson Percy Adlon
Percy Adlon
Percy Adlon is a German film and television director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his film Bagdad Café aka Out of Rosenheim.-Biography:...
, a German film and television director, created the film In der glanzvollen Welt des Hotel Adlon in 1996 about the history of the hotel.