“At the Rhine, at the beautiful Rhine, is where I want to live“
Heinrich Heine
I am Anja Lanius-Kastien and together with my husband I’m managing the Lanius-Knab wine estate in Oberwesel. I am not only responsible for organizational matters and customer service, but also the creative spirit of our winery. I look after our guests with great commitment and passion, whether at a wine tasting or in our wine tavern. Firmly anchored in Oberwesel, I would now like to offer others the opportunity to discover our beautiful region with their own eyes and help to revive the glorious days of the sixties in the Middle Rhine valley. With my holiday apartments, I would like to give my guests a pleasant, modern and central point of contact for a vacation in the Middle Rhine Valley.
Come to our winery for a glass of wine or regional cuisine, I would be happy to welcome you!
The History of the House
The house in today’s Pliersgasse stands directly on the historic city wall, which was first built around 1220, on the edge of the historic city center. From the Pliers Gate you can reach the Rhine and enjoy an impressive view of the rugged mountain slopes on the opposite side of the Rhine. Due to its central location, the house is an ideal starting point for strolling along the town walls or the Rhine promenade.
However, not only Oberwesel, but also this house can look back on a long and eventful history. Presumably built after a town fire in 1836, it was first mentioned in 1886. The Jewish Marx family lived here until shortly before the end of the Second World War. The merchant Moritz Marx ran a colonial goods and and tobacco store in this house. In 1942, the building was auctioned off and the family deported.
A glance at the façade, in particular the corner of the house, reveals an interesting detail: the sandstone head immediately catches the eye with its grotesquely oversized mouth and lack of a lower lip.
It is probably a so-called “Schröterkopf”, which was used by wine shooters to lift the heavy wine barrels out of the cellars. This head served as a ledge on which wooden beams were clamped between the head and the cellar stairs in order to attach a pulley.
After several renovations and conversions in the 50s, 60s and 70s, we modernized the vacant house in 2023-2024 and created the three vacation apartments for our guests in Oberwesel.
(Source: Dr. Walter Karbach)