There are moments in the history of BLUME. so vivid that one can picture them like scenes from a film. One such episode unfolded between 1642 and 1644 – involving a charismatic count, a young innkeeper’s daughter and a bathhouse that suddenly found itself at the centre of public turmoil.
The guest who caused such a stir at the time was Peter Melander, Count of Holzappel. A man who had risen to prominence during the Thirty Years’ War, known for his tactical skill, influence and a temper that was not exactly easy. When he took a break from the war, he sought a place to recover, negotiate and be seen – and he found it in the baths of Baden. And particularly often he was spotted at BLUME.
There, he met the innkeeper’s daughter. Young, confident and firmly rooted in the lively everyday world of the bathhouse – and apparently someone who had captured the count’s attention at first glance. A bond developed between them which, by the standards of the time, was quickly deemed to be “too much”.
What began as a flirt soon became a public matter. The authorities were alert and responsive:
- The innkeeper’s daughter was forbidden from leaving the house at night.
- The count was banned from bathing.
- was prohibited from accommodating him again.
But Melander was not the sort of man who accepted reprimand. He returned. Again and again. They continued to meet – despite bans, threats and fines. The town council intervened several times, issued penalties and imposed new restrictions. Eventually, the young woman had to leave Baden altogether in order to quell the scandal. For the town, the affair was resolved – but for the chronicles, it has remained unforgotten.
Today, this episode feels like a glimpse behind the scenes of a time when Baden was a European meeting point – politically, socially and privately. BLUME. stood at the heart of it all – a place that had always fostered encounters, collected stories and, throughout its long history, repeatedly become the backdrop and starting point for extraordinary moments.
And some of these moments – such as the one between the count and the innkeeper’s daughter – still remind us that BLUME. has always been a place where life played out with just a touch more passion than elsewhere. 😉
