Mar 4, 2021

Film Setting For ‘Spencer’ at Schlosshotel Kronberg, Germany

The Schlosshotel Kronberg will provide the setting for an American production of ‘Spencer’, a drama featuring Lady Di’s life.

The Schlosshotel has been chosen to represent Lady Di’s real birthplace, the country estate of Sandringham in Norfolk, where she was born on 1 July 1961. Princess Di herself reputedly has never been to the Schlosshotel herself.

Some historical facts about the hotel:

German Empress Victoria (German title: Victoria Kaiserin Friedrich), a daughter of the English Queen Victoria, purchased the Villa Schönbusch from a business man named Jacques Reiss in 1888. This was also the year her husband, Emporer Friedrich III, died.

She then had Friedrichshof Castle built in its place, and she used it as her summer residence from 1894 until her death in 1901.

Schloss Friedrichshof in Cronberg i. Taunus

Note the spelling of Cronberg in the left-hand corner of the postcard. This was the official spelling before it became Kronberg in November 1929.

———————————————————

After her death, the castle went to her youngest daughter, Margaret of Prussia (German title: Prinzessin Margarethe von Preußen).

After WWII, the castle was confiscated by U.S. occupation forces, and used as Officers’ Club.

In 1954, the castle became a luxury hotel, convention center, and a special place to receive and host VIPs, such as the Dalai Lama in 2017.

—————————————————–

Princess Di is played by the actress Kristen Stewart. The Hessian Film Funding Group will support the movie making with €250,000.

The movie’s release is planned for early 2022.

Feb 28, 2021

Where U.S. Americans liked to party in Oberursel – Disco La Soirée

What looks like a chapel (left side of the postcard) near the big corner guest house ‘Zum Bären’ used to be a ballroom in its very beginning. Then it became a movie theater (1913), which in turn became the infamous disco ‘La Soirée’ in later years (1975 – 1991).

Historical Postcard Restaurant Zum Bären in Oberursel

This black and white photo was taken by a U.S. soldier back in 1962.

Oct 3, 2015

Old Oberursel Postcards: A3 Tram to Oberursel

In 1973, the tram line 23 became A3 when the line at the southern end of the tunnel going into Frankfurt was extended from the Hauptwache to Theaterplatz.

A3 Oberursel-Hohemark – Heddernheim – Hauptwache – Hauptbahnhof

In 1978, a new timetable was set up on 27 May. At the same time, the tram line A3 was put out of service, and instead, the new U3 connected Hohemark with the Theaterplatz in Frankfurt.

U3 Hohemark – Heddernheim – Theaterplatz.

A3 Hohemark

This postcard shows the area closest to the station Portstraße (coming from Lahnstraße). The same old high-rise buildings on the right are still there today. And just as unpleasant to look at.

The U-Bahn station Portstraße was renamed into Altstadt just in time for the Hessentag 2011 in Oberursel.

To have the U3 public transportation serve the Oberursel community, the city has to pay a yearly due of euro 1.3 million to the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV).

Sep 12, 2015

Old Oberursel Postcards: Adolf-Hitler-Anlage

The current Adenauerallee in Oberursel, home to the monthly flea market, was at one time called Adolf-Hitler-Anlage, presumably till 1945. At this point of writing, it is unknown what it was named in the years from 1945 – 1967.

After  Konrad Adenauer’s death († 19. April 1967 in Rhöndorf), the street was then named after him. He was our first chancellor to the Federal Republic of Germany (1949 -1963).

I also read somewhere that it was called ‘Krankenkassenallee’ for a while, as the street parallel  to the Adenauerallee (on the left)  also housed all of Oberursel’s Health Insurance agencies.

6370-OBERURSEL-Adolf-Hitler-AnlageOberursel a. Ts. = Oberursel am Taunus

Before Germany got new zip codes after the reunification, Oberursel’s zip code used to be 6370 until 1993. Then a fifth digit was added to make it 61440.

The back of the card carries a penciled message in French, addressed to ‘Ma chère Mami’.

Apr 17, 2010

Zum Fuchstanz near Feldberg

A friend, an avid postcard collector, shared this card with me. It shows the Fuchstanz Restaurant in its original state as this card dates from around 1940. The stamped postal date was 26 July 1940, but the card had been in circulation as early as 1935.

I have been told that the Fuchstanz had been a popular spot, not only to local Germans, but also to American  Government Issues (G.I.s) and their families. These families were stationed at Camp King, Oberursel and  some of them enjoyed going up to the Fuchstanz for a family outing.

Zum Fuchstanz - postcard stamped 1940

The inscription reads:

Alljährlich am Ersten des Maien, wenn neu die Natur ist erwacht

Wenn alle Menschen sich freuen der herrlichen Frühlingspracht,

Dann spielen hier Elfen die Geigen, Waldvögelchen singen ihr Lied

Da tanzen die Füchse den Reigen, jedoch nur wenn niemand es sieht

Fuchstanz I. Taunus.

Back then, the Fuchstanz Restaurant was owned by Hofmann & Herr. On the postcard, note the telephone number did not even include an area code. Königstein I. Taunus (im Taunus) was also listed without a zip code.

The address today is as following:

Waldgaststätte und Waldcafé Fuchstanz, D-61462 Königstein / Taunus, Tillmannsweg 1
Tel. 06174 / 21 28 1, Fax 06174 / 74 69

Zum Fuchstanz, its current website and archives (with old postcards)

Diese Webseite verwendet Cookies. Wenn Sie auf der Seite weitersurfen, stimmen Sie der Cookie-Nutzung zu. Mehr Informationen

Diese Webseite verwendet so genannte Cookies. Sie dienen dazu, unser Angebot nutzerfreundlicher, effektiver und sicherer zu machen. Cookies sind kleine Textdateien, die auf Ihrem Rechner abgelegt werden und die Ihr Browser speichert. Die meisten der von uns verwendeten Cookies sind so genannte "Session-Cookies". Sie werden nach Ende Ihres Besuchs automatisch gelöscht. Cookies richten auf Ihrem Rechner keinen Schaden an und enthalten keine Viren. Weitere Informationen finden Sie auf der Seite “Datenschutzerklärung”.

Close