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[103] Hirsau Monastery Hotel and Liane Haid

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Kloster Hirsau Spa Hotel and Liane Haid

An inn next to an old monastery is always a special attraction, and when the hotel in the Black Forest is also the setting for a film, interest grows even greater—as was the case in 1929...

The monastery inn and its history

First mentioned in 1450, it is one of the oldest documented German inns. In 1495, King Maximilian (Eternal Peace) confirmed that every guest was subject to no other jurisdiction than that of Abbot Blasius of Hirsau. In 1564, the hostel was destroyed by fire and immediately rebuilt. In 1861, road construction inspector Georg Heinrich Feldweg (1812-1895) acquired the two-winged building as his office and residence, but retained the right to continue running an inn. In 1888, Feldweg´s daughter married the widowed Stuttgart publisher David Gundert, Hermann Hesse´s uncle. The poet left behind a detailed description of the “venerable old house” and its ambience. After the Black Forest Railway opened, plenty of summer guests stayed at the “Feldwegs.” In 1925, the municipality of Hirsau acquired the building and opened the “Kurhotel Kloster Hirsau.” In 1934, thermal water was drilled for in the immediate vicinity, but this was unsuccessful and so the building remained a problem child with changing tenants. In 1949, the hotel was reopened. Its location directly next to the monastery ruins is unique.

“Black Forest Girl”

In 1929, Hirsau was the setting for a film production, still silent and black and white, based on an operetta by Leon Jessel, which premiered in 1917 at the Komische Oper Berlin. The Merkur film company took up residence in the monastery hotel and spread big-city flair. The nature shots of Bad Liebenzell, Triberg, and Hirsau formed the charming scenic backdrop, especially the hotel with its monastery and spa gardens. The leading role was played by Baroness Liane von Hämmerle-Haid, her full name, as Hanni, a Black Forest girl and the foster daughter of the cathedral choirmaster Römer. The title heroine had thrilled audiences with her previous films.Now she was filming not only in the studios of Berlin, but also in the depths of the northern Black Forest. The Calwer Tagblatt newspaper reported on this with great pride. After its Berlin premiere, the film was shown at the Calw cinema in 1930. The screenplay was written by Walter Reisch, an Austrian author who wrote screenplays for films such as Ninotchka with Greta Garbo and Niagara with Marilyn Monroe. “Schwarzwaldmädel” revolved around the escape of the now pretty Black Forest girl from the bandleader who had fallen in love with her. Looking for work in Berlin, she met a young city dweller with whom she made big plans. However, he made his fortune in Paris and met other women. When he remembered his Hanni fondly, she had already returned to her idyllic home. Remorseful, he sought her out in her Black Forest village, but had to realize that she would not feel at home in a big city. So they remained separated forever. Film critics at the time praised the good interplay between the actors in this portrayal of the milieu: “Liane Haid is particularly commendable and effective, so that at the end one vividly regrets that the play is already over.” The picture shows her in Alsatian traditional costume. The Bollenhut hat only appeared in the 1950 remake with Sonja Ziemann. Haid spent her twilight years in Switzerland and once said: “You just have to live healthily, not smoke, drink only in moderation and stay as long as possible.” The picture shows her wearing traditional Alsatian costume. The Bollenhut hat only appeared in the 1950 remake starring Sonja Ziemann. Haid spent her twilight years in Switzerland and once said: “You just have to live healthily, not smoke, drink only in moderation, and not die for as long as possible.” She lived to the age of 105.