The colorful lion inn
The Gasthaus zum bunt Löwen is a listed building in Zwingenberg (Bergstrasse) .
history
The house was built in 1595. It was originally referred to as the "New Hostel", later called " Zum bunt Löwen ". The inn built by the city was the first building outside the city walls. It was leased to various hosts by the city as a “banned inn”. This ban meant the duty to keep food and drinks ready for travelers. In 1751 the house was sold to Christian Heinrich Dieffenbach from Auerbach. The inn remained in the possession of the Dieffenbach family for 147 years and over five generations. Historically significant among the owners was Georg Dieffenbach (1787–1848). The liberal politician, who from 1832 became a member of the state estates of the Grand Duchy of Hesse , headed the constitutional movement from 1818, which called for a constitution for the Grand Duchy of Hesse (which was also adopted on December 17, 1820 as the constitution of the Grand Duchy of Hesse ).
His son Christian Dieffenbach, who took over the inn in 1848, expanded the business to include a Thurn und Taxis postal expedition and an international wine shop. Under Christian Dieffenbach, the inn was converted into a comfortable, sophisticated hotel through renovations and additions. Since 1868 at the latest, it has been used by various student country teams for annual meetings. In 1868 the first congress of five country teams took place, which later merged with the German gymnastics associations to form the Coburg Convent . In 1832 the Zwingenberg men's choir "Sängerkranz" was founded in the Bunter Löwen.
The owners changed several times in the 20th century. In 2002 the city of Zwingenberg acquired the inn. A comprehensive renovation was carried out with funding from EU funds for around 3.5 million euros.
Todays use
The house is used as a restaurant. The Löwenkeller in the basement and the Diefenbach hall on the first floor are rented out as meeting rooms. The Zwingenberg city council meets in the Diefenbachsaal. The Unesco Geopark Information Center is located on the ground floor .
The building
The building is the largest building on the central Löwenplatz, which takes its name from the inn. It is an elongated, two-storey solid building with 14 window axes. It has a gable roof and a tail gable typical of the Hesse-Darmstadt construction at the time . The building, which was once composed of pilaster strips , was shortened by one axis in 1970/71 because of the widening of federal highway 3 and the gable was moved.
The State Office for Monument Protection ruled:
"As a structural testimony to Hessian history and as a nationally known accommodation on Bergstrasse, the" Zum Löwen "inn is of particular historical importance. Due to its exposed location, it also plays an eminently important urban role for Zwingenberg."
swell
- State Office for Monument Preservation Hessen (Ed.): Gasthaus Bunter Löwe In: DenkXweb, online edition of cultural monuments in Hessen
- Bergsträßer Anzeiger of July 14, 2012: "The" Colorful Lion "will be revived in September"
Individual evidence
- ↑ The State Office for Monument Protection speaks of "built in the origins in 1609".
Coordinates: 49 ° 43 ′ 26.7 " N , 8 ° 36 ′ 45.6" E
