history of the house
The "Graf Zeppelin" house,
whose foundation stone was laid in 1835,
has an eventful history behind it.
On October 11, 1874, Josef Straßburger opened a beer, wine, café and restaurant.
After his death, the brewer Schälke took over the house.
In 1903 it burned down from the roof down to the first floor. In 1905, the architect August Knäble from Constance began replanning and building in the original style, and on May 31, 1905 the brewery zum Sternen, vorm. J. Graf, Gottmadingen built the new building with a beer hall, utility rooms, guest rooms, now under the name: Deutsches Haus.
German Renaissance with facade painting: rustic wooden tables and chairs, painted ceiling and walls painted with wood carvings, glass windows show Constance gates: Schottentor, Paradiestor, Schnetztor as in 1865, portrait of the Count von Zeppelin and airship.
Before this was converted into a hotel, it was the “Oberrheinische Bankanstalt” (credit institution).
In 1965, the “German House” was renamed “Graf Zeppelin” as it was previously called, so that it commemorates the great Konstanz pioneer of airship travel, Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, who was born here in Konstanz on July 8, 1838 and was made an honorary citizen.
In terms of stylistic history, the house can be assigned to historicism. Historicism was the dominant cultural current in the 19th century, which produced a new formal language in art from quotations and from the fund of traditions.
On the front of the house you can see the imperial eagle with the Prussian Hohenzollern shield on the chest, as well as the coat of arms of Constance. Historical costumes and imperial insignia.
This created the impression of entering a room in which German history and regional history have been embodied in an exemplary manner. The entrance side shows musicians on the facade, who are welcomed by a middle-class family.
