History & Chronicle

The inn "zum Ochsen" in Feudenheim, opposite the venerable tower of the village's Catholic church, is the oldest inn in the vicinity of Mannheim that has survived three centuries and still stands before our eyes today in its original form after three devastating wars. The imposing half-timbered building made of strong oak beams, artfully joined, is now a listed building as one of the most valuable witnesses of earlier times.

The deep basement with its strong vaults of rough stone certainly dates from before the 30 Years' War, as does the neighbouring house, which bore the date 1574 on the round arch above the door.

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Excellent cuisine and refined drinks in combination with the pleasantly harmonious old German décor, which radiates warm cosiness and casual comfort, will always make the old inn a much-visited attraction for guests from near and far. Its old friends will always remain loyal to the house.

1632 Ludwig Back, court alderman and court mayor, built the Ochsen. The Back family farmed the ox for over 200 years.

1639 The ox survived the destruction of Feudenheim in the 30 Years' War almost unscathed.

1680 The wonderful half-timbered upper floor and the mighty oak roof truss were completed - we can still read this year on the door stone above the entrance. In this year, the inn "Zum Ochsen" was first mentioned in a document.

1689 Mannheim was destroyed and incinerated in the Orleans War, and Heidelberg Castle also went up in flames that year. Several fires also broke out in Feudenheim, but were extinguished by the courageous residents.

1863 – 1872 The inn "zum Ochsen", on which Realgastgerechtigkeit rested, was owned by Justus Riem.

1874 – 1904 Albert Brecht, who was also an innkeeper and postmaster, took over the "Ochsen".

1904 – 1945 Ludwig Kessler became the owner of the inn. It is thanks to the courageous act of his wife, who, regardless of the danger to her life during the bombing raid, extinguished the incendiary bombs that had penetrated the attic with sand, that the old and beautiful building was saved from destruction.

1945-1958 The inn passed into the ownership of the daughter Emilie and her husband August Klein, who redesigned the interiors at great expense and gave them their present genteel and cosy character and intimate artistic touch, always respectfully preserving the old style and tradition of the house.

1958 The Gasthof "Zum Ochsen" was taken over by the Bockhoff family. Mr. Theodor Bockhoff and his wife Wilma modernised the kitchen, the adjoining rooms and extended the guest rooms. In this way, they contributed a great deal to adapting the inn to today's standards. The Bockhoff family still owns the inn today.

2011 Mrs. Hirth leases the inn "zum Ochsen" and has been running the time-honoured house in good tradition ever since.