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The castle courtyard on the Kyffhäuser was originally the accommodation and supply base for the more than 400 construction workers at the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument. The architect of the Monument to the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig – Bruno Schmitz from Berlin – was also commissioned to design the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument on the Kyffhäuser. The castle courtyard too was based on his plans:
The ground floor is built in the Romanesque style using red sandstone, whilst the upper floor is constructed in the Scandinavian style using timber. The design was inspired by Emperor Wilhelm’s hunting lodge in Rominden (East Prussia). Since the opening of the Barbarossa Hall in 1892, guests of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial have been entertained here in the castle courtyard. And it has been continuously extended. For this reason, the entire complex is listed as a historic monument in the Thuringian Register of Monuments.
Following German reunification, the HO restaurant and the FDGB holiday home stood empty for almost 10 years. In September 2003, whilst on a motorbike tour of Sardinia, we bought the entire complex at auction.
‘Crazy,’ said our friends; ‘mad,’ said our children and parents. The state of the place was pitiful. All the timber, ceilings, windows, doors, all the pipes – water, drainage, heating,
Strom – over there. In spring 2004, we opened our beer garden, complete with a barbecue, beer garden furniture and portable toilets. By autumn, the kitchen and toilet facilities were ready.
The first rooms have been available since 2007. They are named after German emperors – in the correct chronological order, of course. It was my husband’s idea.
Ever since we finally packed up and left south Berlin in 2005 and moved in with Otto I, this story has been part of our lives.
At the Ottonen, you have the full south-facing side and a terrace in front of the room, which is perfect for sunbathing, stargazing and relaxing.
If you stay with the Salier family, you’ll have a balcony from which you can watch the sunrise. Hard to believe, but true: our children joined us in 2016, and since 2017, little feet have been scurrying through our old walls once again!
We, too, are committed to preserving and continuously improving this beautiful, historic building. We are working our way from east to west; first, we have refurbished ‘Auerbach’s’ with its cosy vaulted cellar.
This space can accommodate groups of up to 35 people, and our hotel guests are treated to a generous breakfast buffet. In 2018, a reception area with a lobby was completed on the ground floor of the central building specifically for hotel operations, and in 2019, seven further rooms were added on the first floor to mark the start of the season.
And for the first time in its history, the castle courtyard is getting a passenger lift!
Just in time for the 2020 season, we were able to complete the next seven rooms on the second floor, meaning that larger groups can now celebrate and stay overnight.
Today, an emperor!
We hope you have a lovely stay
The Auerbach and Pester families and the team at Burghof Kyffhäuser
