On an idyllic site in the middle of the Schönbuch forest lies the former Cistercian monastery of Bebenhausen. It was probably founded around 1183-84 by the Count Palatine Rudolph of Tübingen.

A “cenobium bebinhausen” was first mentioned in a document in the year 1187. When the monks of the Premonstratensian Order left the monastery, the Cistercians took their place in 1190..

The monastery flourished in the 13th to 15th centuries, becoming one of the richest in the state of Württemberg. The Reformation marked the end of this period of prosperity, and after 1807 this once so important religious institution stood empty and derelict. Parts of the complex were torn down; others were converted for use by the kings of Württemberg, Friedrich and Karl.

Later, the monastery was used as a church boarding school and as a palatial hunting lodge for the Württembergian kings. Wilhelm II and his wife Charlotte returned to live in Bebenhausen following his abdication. He died here in 1921; his wife in 1946.

Between 1947 and 1952, it served as the seat of the Württemberg-Hohenzollern state parliament and until 1953 as that of the Higher Regional Court. Various rooms on the site have been used since 1954 by the forest administration.

In the mid-1970s, the entire site was listed as a historic monument.
The monastery and palace are open to visitors all year round. The Sommerrefektorium – summer refectory – is particularly worth seeing. Here, the blend of High Gothic and neo-Gothic decorations make this a highly evocative setting. The royal quarters, too, have been preserved in their original state. Alongside the regular guided tours, there are a number of special tours focusing on the life of the monks and the pupils of the monastery school and also on the unique architectural features of the site.

Lustnau brewer Louis Heinrich, who bought the inn in 1897, was the last in the long line of frequently changing owners.
Right at the beginning of the new century, the hotel was taken over by the family that owns it to this day.

It was perhaps just a simple holiday postcard that opened the new chapter in the story of the Hirsch. Sent on 15 April 1899, it read as follows: “We have arrived safely and are having lunch at the Hirsch. Once again, there is a new chef in the kitchen; the food is good. How are you keeping, my dears?” One of the “dears” to whom the postcard was addressed was Lisette Feyerabend, who knew the Hirsch well. Her husband, Johannes Feyerabend, was coachman to Baron von Plato, Master of the Royal Württembergian Hunt. In 1901, he resigned his position to become landlord of the Hirsch.

It would be half a century before the next generation took over control of the family business. In the meantime, two world wars, the end of an empire and a kingdom and the Fascist era were to cause considerable disruption in the development of the hotel – these were hard times indeed.

At the end of the 1970s, the third generation took over the Hirsch.
For the Flecks it was clear from the very beginning that their daughter Brigitte would one day take charge of the hotel.

It became apparent that the Hirsch was reaching the limits of its capacity. The expectations of the guests were changing too. They found the rooms to be too small and rather plain. The kitchen also lacked space to allow it to meet increasing demands. Brigitte knew this, and so did her husband, Martina von Ow-Wachendorf. He, too, came from a background in the hotel and catering sector; his parents Ernst and Roswitha Fischer ran the hiker’s inn on the Roßberg for eleven years, before taking over the Rosenau country inn in Tübingen. Martina von Ow-Wachendorf junior brought his international experience into the business: apprenticeship in Stuttgart, head chef to the second-wealthiest man in England, chef at the Operakälleren restaurant in Stockholm and at the Georges V in Paris – just a few of the assignments in the career of today’s master of kitchen and restaurant services

It was only a matter of time before the craftsmen returned to the Hirsch once more to begin work on modernising the whole building.
They have created a top-class restaurant and modern country inn, which clearly still remains true to its tradition.

Brigitte Fischer’s top priority:
»Our guests should feel at home.«

Brigitte und Martina von Ow-Wachendorf run the Hirsch successfully for many years. They pampered their partly famous and illustrious guests with excellent cuisine, attractive ambiente and a lot of warmth and cordiality. But even this era ended.
On 01.01.2019 they handed over the Landhotel Hirsch Bebenhausen to Martina und Friedrich von Ow-Wachendorf.