The house was built between 1903 and 1904. It was designed by Otto Michaelsen, hence the second name of the structure – Michaelsen Palais.
Hotel Roter Adler is considered one of the most representative structures of Jugendstil – a german streek of Art Nouveau.
Aside from lavish floral and mythical ornaments, one can also find the patriotic ones, reflecting the climate of the period (for an example a relief of Otto von Bismarck)
Decorations also allude to medieval times, bringing to mind the mythical times of Germany’s beginnings, according to Gründerzeit (founding times) style.
The building originally belonged to a businessman called Emil Vogt, who unfortunately had to sell the building only after a few years after having it finished, to Winterthur insurance company, which resided there until the war in 1914.
In the inter-war period the Michaelsen Palais served various purposes – from court to hotel.
During the II World War the building was severly destroyed
It was thoroughly renovated between 1994 and 1996, and then again in 2001 to reflect it’s original look.
See my other entries on Art Nouveau/Jugendstil buildings in Berlin:
Hotel Splendid: https://seeinberlin.com/2016/01/11/art-nouveau-traces-in-berlin-1-splendid-hotel/
Geisebrechtstraße: https://seeinberlin.com/2016/01/12/art-nouveau-traces-in-berlin-2-geisebrechtstrasse/
Gräfekiez: https://seeinberlin.com/2016/01/25/secession-in-berlin-1-graefekiez/
Bülowstraße: https://seeinberlin.com/2016/02/16/u-bahn-station-at-buelowstrasse-art-nouveau-jugendstil/
Admiralspalast: https://seeinberlin.com/2016/03/08/admiralspalast-art-nouveau-jugendstil/
Wittenbergplatz: https://seeinberlin.com/2016/05/10/wittenbergplatz-subway-u-bahn-station-in-berlin-charlottenburg/
Französischer Friedhof: https://seeinberlin.com/2016/05/24/the-dorothenstadt-french-cemetery-dorotheenstadtischer-franzosischer-friedhof/
Thomasiusstraße: https://seeinberlin.com/2016/06/07/apartment-building-at-thomasiusstrasse-art-nouveau-jugendstil-belle-epoque/
See in Berlin 
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