History
The Wagner-Kahn Family
Hoteliers since 1896
Rosette & Fernand Kahn (1896)
(Arieh Wagner’s Great-grand parents)
Paul Kahn & his mother Rosette at the Silberhorn Hotel (ca. 1935) managed the hotel from age 16.
(Arieh Wagner Grandfather and Great-grand mother)
Hotel Silberhorn in Grindelwald, Switzerland (1949)
The Silberhorn Hotel – 1926 – 1996
70 years Jewish Hospitality
At first the Silberhorn was a little Chalet style house built in 1904. The builders where two brothers Christian and Fritz Kaufmann. In 1926, Rosette Kahn bought the Hotel Silberhorn in Grindelwald. Her son Paul (my Grandfather), only 16 years old, was at her side. The hotel had 30 beds. With much diligence and effort, the foundations for success were laid. The Kahn hotelier family believed in the principle that the client is king.
With time Paul took over the hotel management. In 1940 he married Irma Goldschmidt. Together they managed the little Silberhorn which started to grow into one of the most famous kosher hotels.
1949 saw the first expansion of the hotel. Then again in 1958 and 1960 my grandfather continuously enlarged the hotel. He was known as the quintessential hotelier. His financial success he shared generously with many charities… from Shaarei Tzedek in Jerusalem to the Juedische Schule in Zurich.
In 1970 my dear parents took over the hotel business. In the same year I was born. In 1973 my mother – Ruth Wagner – received her Hotel Diploma. Unfortunately by Grandfather Paul Kahn passed away in 1974 before he was able to enjoy the fruits of his hard labour.
In 1984 the new wing was inaugurated. A modern addition to the existing hotel with Suites and Junior Suites. The Silberhorn became undoubtedly the worlds most luxurious kosher hotel outside of Israel.
My famous Grandparents Paul & Irma Kahn standing at the entrance of the beloved Hotel Silberhorn.
In earlier years – standing Ernst & Martha Stern (my grandfathers sister) who managed the Kosher restaurant in Basel – “Pension Kahn”.
Purchase Contract of the Silberhorn Hotel.
1926 by Mrs. Rosette Kahn-Oppenheimer (my great grand mother).
A letter dated 1933 by Paul Kahn to his sister Martha. Paul managed the hotel in Locarno whilst Martha looked after the Pension Kahn in Basel and their mother Rosette Kahn was in Grindelwald.
The Silberhorn Hotel – 1926/1940
The Dining Room at The Silberhorn Hotel (approx 1940)
1962
1966
1966
My dear father – Meir Wagner – standing in front of the Silberhorn Hotel in Grindelwald.
Ruth Wagner, Arieh Wagner, Meir Wagner
Breakfast on the Terrace of the Silberhorn Hotel with my late Father.
Arieh Wagner holding the son of the Belzer Rebbe under the watchful eyes of the grandmother – the Viznizer Rebbezin.
In the Press
Die koschere Hotellerie im Alpenstaat ist am Ende
von Peter Bollag
07.03.2011
Kosher hotel opens new wing
The Canadian Jewish News
08.11.1984
Ferien im Moses-Style
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
19.03.2011
When a Gadol is the guest
Mishpacha
28.03.2018 – By Rivka Junger
Ein Stück vom Himmel
Die Zeit
20.09.2012 – Von Paula Scheidt
Illustrious Guests
Arieh Wagner, founded STARGUEST in London in 1997, and has been managing the Kosher Events department at the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane since.
“I want to prove that kosher does not equal compromise”
Arieh was, quite literally, involved in the hospitality business from the cradle. His father, Meir Wagner, ran Silberhorn Hotel, a kosher hotel that had been in the family since 1926 and was located in Grindelwald, an idyllic resort at the foot of the Swiss Alps. The year Arieh was born, his mother, Ruth Wagner, received her hotel diploma, which meant that he was born with a silver spoon, or ladle, in his hands. He grew up filling in for missing staff, serving the non-mevushal wines, helping Kasher the kitchen for Pesach, supervising the cows’ milking up on the mountain at 7 a.m., and lugging down the 40 litres of chalav Yisrael milk.
“Kosher Luxury Beyond 5 Stars”
Arieh’s discretion and confidentiality along with exemplary professionalism mean that he has been trusted to manage and cater events for most of the recent Prime Ministers of the UK such as Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron and Tony Blair.
Amongst the most famous served guests are the late Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, HRH Prince Philip, Nelson Mandela and Baroness Thatcher.
Today, STARGUEST, the brand name among the kosher travelling elite, arranges everything kosher; from destination weddings in Marbella, Spain, to Kosher Luxury at The Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
