Lorenz Adlon - Berlin

Berlin

Late in the 1870s, Lorenz Adlon enthusiastically moved to Berlin, which was so attractive as the magnificent new capital of the Second Reich.

Once there, Adlon began in the business of selling wines. It became so successful, that Adlon's shop of the Wilhelmstrasse would store three million bottles at some point; the value of the investment skyrocketed after a vine pest of the late 1910s, and -in general- also overmastering the German inflation.

Meanwhile, Lorenz Adlon kept managing the catering for international events, in 1881 for the festival of gymnastics of Frankfurt (Deutschen Turnfest), in 1882 for the Bavarian Trade exhibition, in 1883 for Amsterdam's World's Fair. By then, Lorenz Adlon was enjoying a prosperous financial period.

Subsequently, Adlon started acquiring several restaurants, one after the other. He acquired the Mille Colonnes hotel, at the Rembrandt Square of Amsterdam. By 1887, Adlon had already acquired a café at the 62/63 on the patrician Unter den Linden boulevard of midtown Berlin, to Carl Hiller.

In 1896, Lorenz Adlon together with two other businessmen, Hiller and Rudolf Dressel, managed the main restaurant facilities at the Neuer See, during the Universal Exposition of Berlin (Gewerbe-Ausstellung). During the event, Adlon got acquainted with the famous director of orchestra Benjamin Bilse, by whom Adlon got properly introduced to the high society of Berlin.

Lorenz Adlon then took over Hiller's restaurant at the 55 Unter den Linden boulevard. The place already was leading because of its French dishes, and during Adler's management, it became the most exclusive restaurant in Berlin; Adlon then was a recognized socialite. In 1898, Adlon entered into partnership with Teilhaber Klicks, acquiring the 195-room Hotel Continental on the Georgenstraße street, and so Adlon perfected his skills of hotel management.

In 1899, Lorenz Adlon leased the until then decadent two terraces of the zoo of Mainz. Revamped by Adlon, the place started serving famous international treats, highlighting the Bouillabaisse specialty; daily yielding 6,000 daily goldmarks, it once hosted William II, whose ensuing friendship meant Adlon's definitive belonging into the German high society.