History

It all began on 8 th of November 1685 with the “Edict of Potsdam”. The gruesomely persecuted Huguenots of France were given new lives in Prussia by Elector Friedrich Wilhelm. The incentives for settling in Prussia were religious tolerance, initial financial assistance, a 15-year period of tax exemption, and complete integration into society. This migration was attractive for both sides, as many migrants were highly qualified and brought with them their esprit
and many culinary ideas. The only problem was the lack of space for the roughly 20,000 protestant refugees from France. The “Ait of Moabit”, a plot of land consisting of heather, damp fields and many trees on the northern shore of the Spree, and at the time located outside of Berlin’s gates, was suitable.

One of the first settlers was Monsieur Menard. In 1698 Elector Friedrich III bestowed upon Menard a mountain for vineyard cultivation at the mouth of the Niederschoenhausen trench on the Spree. Yet the vineyard alone did not satisfy Menard, and so he founded an inn with a garden. The “Menardie” soon
became a popular destination for the Huguenots in Berlin as well as Berlin society. Menard laid the foundation for what would become over 300 years of gastronomy history at the very location where the restaurant Zollpackhof is now situated.

The history of the land is just as multi-faceted as the history of Prussia itself: in 1717, north of the street “Old Moabit”, a powder factory was constructed and relocated to Spandau 120 years later for safety reasons. A royal lumberyard was located on the former “powder field” in the meantime. Located in that same spot from 1811 to 1815 was Tichy’s Bathhouse, an open-air river pool for Berlin’s residents. Berlin’s first swimming club was founded here in 1840. When Lehrter Station opened up in the immediate proximity in 1871, the bathhouse of Berlin’s first rail connection had to move to Lehrte in Hanover. There was supposed to be room here for a new packing site as well as tax and customs offices. One of these buildings was called the “Spiritus-Hof” and was eventually
used as a casino. Up until 1920 the area was still a popular destination.

After the Second World War, both Lehrter Station and the vicinity of the packing site were largely destroyed, and only the casino was mostly undamaged.
The ruins of the station were finally demolished, but the packing site still belonged to the customs administration. Some forwarding companies settled in this location, but otherwise the beautiful land slumbered in a deep sleep until the Berlin Wall fell.

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MORE RECENT HISTORY

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification, and the government’s relocation to Berlin, the traditional land on the Spree boomed. With trees that had been there for centuries, direct access to the riverside promenade, and a view of the Chancellery building and the Swiss embassy, the Zollpackhof impresses with its new charm. The restaurant is in the new heart of the city and some of Berlin’s most exciting sights are just a stone’s throw away, such as the federal Chancellery, Potsdamer Platz, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the victory column, the zoo, and Bellevue Palace.

In cooperation with the brewery Augustiner-Bräu in Munich, a traditional tavern formed with one of the city’s most beautiful beer gardens beneath old,  shaded trees. Hearty Bavarian-Austrian cuisine awaits our guests inside. A modern, cosy tavern ambience with round fireplace and large, imposing chandeliers invite guests to relax.