The Zoo of 1907
In 1907, in the picturesque town of Tübingen, a visionary man named Eugen Mannheim decided to create a unique place. Eugen, a passionate animal lover, had the idea of establishing a zoo that would attract people from near and far. This is how the story of the Tübingen Zoo began.
Eugen Mannheim was convinced by a 5.7 hectare plot of land on Spitzberg, above the Neckar Valley. This area, which consisted of forest and meadows, was the perfect place for his dream. With a lot of dedication and hard work, he built enclosures for big cats, bears, birds and many other animals. There were even ponds for otters and seals and a Mississippi alligator.
On May 19, 1907, the Tübingen Zoo opened its doors. Visitors were amazed by the variety of animals they could see there. There were nine lions, including two that were born in the zoo, as well as twelve polar bears and brown bears. A magnificent Bengal tiger, a leopard, two pumas and three ocelots attracted the attention of visitors. Wolves, monkeys, seals, griffon vultures, deer, badgers, wild boars, cockatoos and parakeets could also be admired.
The zoo was not only a place of entertainment, but also a place of education. In 1910, over 2,000 students from the surrounding districts visited the zoo. Eugen Mannheim also organized music events and other cultural events in the Ödenburg building, which he had converted into a restaurant.
But the happiness did not last forever. With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Eugen Mannheim was drafted into the military. Without his leadership, the zoo began to decay. In 1919, the Tübingen Zoo finally had to close its doors. Eugen Mannheim returned after the war and ran a farm on the site, which is still known today as the last inner-city farm in Tübingen.
The remains of the zoo can still be found in the forest and are a reminder of a time when lions and bears roamed the Tübingen forest and amazed people. The Tübingen Zoo remains a fascinating chapter in the city's history. That's when I was take.