Hotel Kaiserhof, on Wilhelmplatz

The luxury Kaiserhof was a hotel built in the 1870’s on the Wilhelmplatz, close to the Wilhelmstrasse, where the Chancellery of the Reich, as well as other ministries, were located. It was the capital’s first "grand hotel", many years before the Adlon.

The Kaiserhof had more than 260 rooms, fitted out in a modern and luxurious manner. It was the first Berlin hotel in which every room had an electricity supply, its own bathroom and its own telephone. The hotel also featured steam heating and pneumatic lifts.

1928 - Bundesarchiv - Bild 146-059-07 / Fotograf: Herbert Hoffmann

                                                                                      

In 1878, it was here that the famous Berlin Conference, in which Africa was divided among the colonial powers, was held. An idea of the hotel’s importance at that time is the fact that the nearest U-bahn station (today called Mohrenstrasse) was named "Kaiserhof".

In 1924, the majority of the stock was purchased by Aschinger, better known for its restaurants. Its proximity to the government quarter made it a favourite of politicians. The name Kaiserhof is today mostly connected to Hitler and Goebbels, who made it their headquarters in Berlin, after Hotel Excelsior reputedly declined that dubious honour. The management had long been sympathetic to extreme conservative politics and on the facade it was not the republican gold-red-black flag but the old imperial red-white-black one which waved.

In the Kaiserhof’s behalf it has to be said that it was also frequented by more respectable, liberal politicians, for instance the SeSiSo club, with people like Harry Kessler, Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, Wilhelm Solf.

The majestic Kaiserhof was bombed in 1943 and demolished after the war.