- Koblenz
The Rittersturz is a well-known vantage point for hikers in the Koblenz city forest, not far from the Königsbach and the main railway station. On 8 July 1948, the ministers and state presidents of the West German states met officially for two days under the leadership of Minister President Dr. Peter Altmeier to take an official position on the decision of the Western Allies to form a German state out of the three occupation zones of the USA, Great Britain and France.
As early as 1892, a Swiss cottage with catering was built there, which gave way in 1925 to the most modern hotel in Koblenz at the time. On 2 June 1928, a funicular railway, the Rittersturzbahn, was opened, connecting the hotel with the tram stop in the valley. The hotel survived the war unscathed, so it was requisitioned by the American and French military as a provisional seat of government. At the conference hotel on the Rittersturz, it was decided to accept the founding of a state without the Soviet zone, but to form a parliamentary council to draw up a constitution, since a constitution without the involvement of the uninvolved parts of the country would hinder a possible reunification. Although this golden hour of democracy took place here, the hotel was demolished in 1974 after a long period of decline, to the regret of many Koblenz residents. The mountain railway had already been closed on 25 October 1959. Since 8 July 1978, a basalt stele by Rudi Scheuermann has commemorated the historic event. In 2008, the area including the car park was renovated and offers a vantage point and starting point for hiking trails in the Koblenz city forest as well as for supra-regional hiking trails such as the RheinBurgenWeg and the World Heritage Trail.
On the map
Rittersturz
56073 Koblenz
DE
Phone: +49 (0)261-129-1610
Fax: +49 (0)261-129-1620
E-mail: info@koblenz-touristik.de