It shines bright white on Hamburg's Inner Alster: the façade of the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten has been freshly painted to mark the 125th anniversary of the world-class luxury hotel. The whole of Hamburg has come to celebrate the legendary hotel's birthday. On February 24, 1897, the Swabian Friedrich Haerlin bought the bankrupt, narrow hotel with eleven rooms on the Alsterbassin at auction. Thanks to ingenious acquisitions and great skill as a hotelier, the hotel became one of the leading international hotels and a Hanseatic institution under its owner.