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Mark Twain in German-Language Newspapers and Periodicals

Schloss-Hotel, Heidelberg, "Bird Cage"

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Schloss-Hotel, Heidelberg Until now, German newspapers, even with digital reproductions available, have provided little assistance in reconstructing Clemens's visit to Heidelberg. It appears that there is only a single reference to the presence of the prominent visitor in Heidelberg. On May 7, 1878, the Heidelberger Zeitung printed a list of newly arrived visitors ("Fremdenliste") in the city, including the line "Hotel Schrieder [ . . . ] Clemans [sic] und Fam. a. New-York" (p. 4 c. 3).
Hotel Schrieder had a long history in Heidelberg and advertized itself as a first-class hotel. In July 1877, it had accommodated former US president Ulysses S. Grant and his wife. But something must have troubled the Clemens family to such an extent that Olivia referred to it "a most miserable hotel" (Snedecor 104), prompting Clemens to quickly move them to better quarters at the Schloss-Hotel, a relatively new hotel located near the famous Heidelberg Castle.

When the hotel opened its doors in 1875, its owner, Heinrich Albert, ran numerous ads to advertise his new establishment. He received support from what appears to be a friendly newspaper review which gave this detailed description of the amenities: "Newly built and furnished in fine taste, the castle hotel, has 90 guest rooms, 8 royally furnished lounges, 1 ladies' salon, 1 music salon, 1 reading salon and 1 billiard room, as well as 4 separate dining rooms. The kitchen and cellar offer only the finest and most amazing culinary variety, and the serving staff leave nothing to be desired."

The hotel's unique elevated location, in proximity to the renowned castle, inspired the reviewer to eloquently praise its picturesque setting:
"[The Schloßhotel] is surrounded by beautiful nature on all sides. From its windows, its 21 balconies and 5 terraces, you can see the simple idyll of beautifully wooded mountains and lush meadows to the south and east. To the north, the view is immersed in the cozy confines of the Neckar valley with the heights of the Schlosserweg and the Engelswiese. To the east, it sweeps joyfully through the rich romance of the German Alhambra [Heidelberg Castle], Old Heidelberg's fine mountains and the laughing hills opposite and loses itself with the sparkling river in the wide, cheerful Palatinate plain, which is bordered by the golden-scented mountains of the wine-growing Hardt." [translated from the German text printed in Neue Würzburger Zeitung, 4. August 1875, p. 2].

Heinrich Albert is credited as "of the best innkeepers and an expert on tourist life in the grand style," a characterization that corresponded to Olivia's first impression of him, as he treated her and the children as an attentive and hospitable host. Their new situation at the Schloss-Hotel pleased Olivia greatly. In her early letters she called the location "a perfect Paradise" (Snedecor 102) and "the most lovely place that anyone ever saw" (104). Clemens also felt that they were "divinely located" (MTHL I, 229). He was fascinated by the enclosed balconies attached to their bedroom which he described in a letter to Howells as "two great bird-cages" which gave them a spectacular view of Heidelberg and the Rhine valley. He also found the quiet seclusion he sought during his European stay. "Lord, how bleed is the repose, the tranquility of this place," he wrote to Howells (MTHL I, 230). It may have been a result of the fact that, as Olivia wrote to her mother, "no one in the hotel knows who Mr. Clemens is" (Snedecor 103).