The history of the solewerk hotel
“Sächsischer Hof”

The lodging competition of the Town of Meiningen faced a new situation upon the building of the “Sächsischer Hof” in 1798, which ended in 1802. Sächsischer Hof soon outflanked all other lodgings, and was regarded to be the best place to stay, far and wide, in a short time. In the year of 1802, it was fully rebuilt as a guesthouse lodge for the accommodation of travelers, yet not in the same scope and size it had at the end of the previous century. The northeast extension was first added during the 1820s, and was first thought to be a new casino restaurant, which was opened in a celebration made on June 12, 1826.

In April of the year 1843, the Sächsischer Hof transferred to the ownership of the Princes of Thurn and Taxis, who relocated the post office into the southern part of the guesthouse. The post stop for horse-driven coaches had to be moved to the backside of the building in order to conserve the distinguished character of the guesthouse.

Prior to the building of the guesthouse theater, which was opened on December 17, 1831, acting shows were especially performed in the Sächsischer Hof next to the palace and the riding arena. Chronicles report that an amateur group appeared in the same hall in the year of 1808, that the Quandt performers gave shows in July 1809, and that the Gerlach artists delivered shows in the Spring of 1821, all with much applause. The Sächsischer Hof received its present appearance during the rebuild of the year of 1900. The court architect Fritze added a second and third level to the building, and gave it its characteristic appearance with the Franconian style timber framework and the lavishly decorated balconies and the romantic pointy towers.

A list of guests of the Sächsischer Hof testifies of the personalities of the 19th century: King Carl of Wurttemberg and his wife Olga, Czar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, Great Prince Constantine, Prince August of Sweden, Prince Carl of Bavaria, the Generals von der Tann and Count Moltke, King Friedrich of Wurttemberg, Prince Albrecht of Prussia, King Ludwig I of Bavaria, the writers and componists Johannes Brahms, Theodor Fontane, Franz Liszt, and Max Reger. Even in its recent history, the guesthouse could accommodate many celebrities, such as the German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Minister President Vogel, Victor von Bülow – better known as “Loriot”, Klaus-Maria Brandauer, August Everding, Kurt Masur, Hans Clarin, and Ephraim Kishon. The renaissance of the guesthouse began with the German political transition. An encompassing renovationing program was completed with success in the Spring of 1997.

The history of the guesthouse was put to new revival. Many adoring details allow the almost 200 year old history of the guesthouse past by. In the gastronomy, we again launched the tradition of Thurn and Taxis and installed the gourmet restaurant “The Post Stop”, and the country-style “Horse-driven coach” pub. You will find numerous documents that were collected by philatelists with the support of the Thurn and Taxis palace library of the Town of Regensburg, which testify the history of the post office in the Town of Meiningen and the solewerk Hotel Sächsischer Hof.