The Question about the History of the House
“Can you tell us more about the history of the house?”
We hear this question again and again from our guests at Hotel Anna 1908 – and for a long time we had to shrug our shoulders ourselves. So we started researching. In doing so, we came across a real treasure trove: the site friedenau-aktuell.de. We would especially like to thank Mr. Hahn and Mr. Stich, who make Berlin history tangible there with great dedication. Thanks to their work, we finally know the eventful past of our house – and are happy to share it with you.
From Horse Feed to Boarding House: the Beginnings around 1908
Our charming Hotel Anna 1908 stands today on the corner of Bornstraße and Büsingstraße – named after the year of construction and inspired by a woman who once made history here: Anna Worm, née Weber. Together with her husband Paul Worm, she ran the forage business F.E. Liefeldt Nachfl. in Steglitzer Schloßstraße 111 until 1906 – a flourishing business with horse feed, until the need for hay and oats slowly disappeared.
With foresight, the Worms invested in a new project in 1908: They bought the property Bornstraße 5 and 6 / Ecke Büsingstraße 1. A stately five-story apartment building with a basement and restaurant on the ground floor was built there, which was already planned in the building plans from August 1908. Three dining rooms – an early mix of hospitality and living culture – characterized the ground floor from the beginning.
The restaurant business was the heart of the house for many decades – but with constantly changing tenants: From O. Kaltes (1909) to O. Katz (1931) and F. Lehmann (1933) to E. Faerber in 1943.
Destruction and Reconstruction
During the Second World War, a bomb severely hit the house: the top floor and third floor were destroyed in 1943. The reconstruction dragged on, but the restaurant business was apparently quickly reopened. The photos in this article are from Herwarth Staudt from 1951 and show the ruin – but also a reopened restaurant (the “Blumen-Eck”) with a covered terrace to Büsingstraße. It was an image between loss and departure.
The Long Breath of History
What happened after that is shrouded in darkness. For decades, the house remained a silent witness – until it was extensively restored in recent years. With great attention to detail, the old facade was preserved, the historical substance protected and modern life moved in at the same time.
Today: Anna 1908
Today, the building houses our stylish Hotel Anna 1908 (corner of Büsingstraße 1). The hotel sees itself as a homage to Berlin history, to the time around 1900 – and to the people who broke new ground with energy and entrepreneurial spirit. The Wilhelminian era lives on here: in high ceilings, restored original elements, and an atmosphere that is both old Berlin and international.
A Place with Soul
What distinguishes the Anna 1908 is not only the history, but also the special location: quiet, green, yet well connected to Berlin’s center. Guests do not stay in any old hotel, but in a living piece of Berlin architecture and city history – shaped by war and reconstruction, change and continuity.