The History
Of the Schloss-Hotel Ingelfingen
Unwinding and finding peace has become quite difficult nowadays. This is why we consider ourselves as refuge and retreat from busy everyday life.
We are easy to find in the middle of winegrowing Ingelfingen, situated on the peaceful park. The hotel itself is part of Ingelfingen’s historic sites.
From Residence to Lower Castle
As the accommodation for the lords of Burg Lichteneck was transferred down to the town center, die residence of Hohenlohe bailiff Beringer von Berlichingen became the “Lower Castle”.
Demolition and Reconstruction
Between 1625 and 1627 the stately home near the town wall was demolished due to its bad condition and a new castle was built. The building consisted of two joined wings (western and eastern wing). Both wings were connected by “… stacked wooden gangways…”. During the 17th century they had to be repaired several times.
The Castle and the Prinzessinnenbau
In 1701, Graf (Count) Christian Kraft (1668–1743), ancestor of the House of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen, started building his residence in Ingelfingen. As he had inherited 10,000 Guilders, he could plan generously.
His wife, Marie Catharine Sophie, neé Gräfin (Countess) von Hohenlohe-Pfedelbach, gave birth to 17 children! The space in the castle was no longer sufficient for the big family. Thus, the Countess bought the house of the butcher Hans Lang, who purveyed the court. It was situated east of the castle. It was demolished down to the foundations and rebuilt. The new building and the castle were directly connected on two floors.
The Count’s daughters, all of them very pretty, lived in this new building called “Prinzessinnenbau” (Princesses’ Wing).
Princess Sophie Christiane Luise
As of 1799 Princess Sophie Christiane Luise also resided in the Prinzessinenbau and took over the education of her brother, Fürst (Prince) Friedrich.
After the court had been moved from Ingelfingen to Breslau and the administration to Öhringen in 1805, only Sophie Christiane Luise kept residing in the Prinzessinnenbau. She used the other rooms of the castle only on special occastions. After her deatz in 1831, Schloss Ingelfingen was seldomly used by the Princely Family. Only the caretaker with a maidservant and the gate keeper and his family remained in the castle.
A love drama revives the castle
In 1842, a romantic love story in the princely family von Hohenlohe-Öhringen awoke the castle from almost 40 years of sleep. Heir to the throne Friedrich, who had been disinherited due to his morganatic love marriage, was supposed to live temporarily in the Prinzessinenbau and then move to the eastern wing after its the renovation. The Prince tried to oppose to his father’s (Prince August) order, to move to Ingelfingen, but did not succeed.
In September 1843, Prince Friedrich and his wife Mathilde Freifrau (baroness) von Brauneck moved to their freshly renovated love nest, the Prinzessinnenbau. The extensive renovation of the eastern wing started, but was stopped again in 1847, as the Prince moved his residential seat to Stuttgart. Thus, the temporary holding of court was dissolved.
In the following decades of the 19th century, the castle and the Prinzessinnenbau remained empty. Only the dwellings of the caretaker and the gate keeper in the western wing were inhabited.
Chequered History
In the beginning of the 20th century, the castle and Prinzessinenbau were woken from their long sleep and used for different purposes. There is prove for the following:
1901 District notary Langbein moved into the Prinzessinnenbau.
1919 Public notary Mössinger rented the castle rooms, in 1929, district notary Plocher took over.
1952 the town council of Ingelfingen bought the building.
1954 The health hotel Krone opened with a spa and massage department on the ground floor.
1957 The building was totally modified and the whole house was integrated into the Hotel Krone.
1978 The Prinzessinnenbau was sold to a private person.
1990 The entrepreneurs Müller, Berner and Sigloch, all from the Kocher valley, bought the Schlosshotel.
Seit 1992 Fritz Müller is the sole owner.
References
Former mayor Heinrich Ehrmann, mayor from 1948 to 1978
Literature: Das Ingelfinger Schloss – einst Residenz heute Rathaus;
First edition December 1999
Hotel, Barrel and Wine Manufactury
Nowadays, carfully chosen details and accessories as well as the historic charm of the Prinzessinnenbau characterise our hotel, that has been managed directly by GEMÜ since 2009 and hasn’t been leased any more. Friendy, stylish and bright rooms in soft colours characterise our hotel as well as atmosphere and hospitable service.
Here are some detailed facts concerning the Schlosshotel, the Ingelfinger Fass and the Weinmanufaktur
2001 The Ingelfinger Fass is built and finished in 2012
2009 The Schlosshotel opens under sole responsibility of GEMÜ
2012 The building Fechter/Scheuermann is integrated into the hotel complex
2012 Parts of the building are demolished and a new hotel extension / wine tavern / hotel bar / conference room are built
2015 The Stuberhaus is demolished and another hotel extension with wine-selling facility “Weinmanufaktur” is built
2015 The Schlosshotel Ingelfingen is upgraded to a 3-star-superior hotel
2016 The hotel extension and the Fritz Müller Platz are opened
2016 The Schlosshotel is awarded the title “Wine Hotel”
2018 The new rooms in the central building are finished and opened
2019 The new rooms in the Prinzessinnenbau are finished and opened