Formerly a mixed farm and mill, the business underwent a huge transformation in the second half of the 20th century after the daughter of the family, Lydia Luise Hofmann, married the trained car mechanic Helmut Manz from Deuselbach in 1959. Immediately after moving in, he opened a car workshop for oil changes and tyre service, but then steadily expanded the sales and customer service for small engines (chainsaws and lawnmowers). A year later, the mill was extended and converted into guest rooms. The general store closed in 1962.
In 1976, a central part of the old building (formerly a stable) was converted into a new hotel building with a lift, new kitchen, two flats and five double rooms. The restaurant was very popular with day trippers at the time. At lunchtime, delicacies of beef and pork from the hotel’s own livestock and home slaughtering as well as game from the local forests were served. At snack time, it was the butcher’s platter with ham, black pudding, liver sausage and pork rinds from our own production. Handmade cheese made from the farm’s own milk was particularly popular. The pub closed in 1980, after which it focussed on catering for pension guests. These travelled from all over Germany and the Netherlands. It was not uncommon for regular guests to come to Schwollen every summer for decades. The guests were spoilt with vegetables and salad from their own garden as well as home-made jams.
In 2001, Andreas Kaster took over the small engine workshop and moved to a new building in the neighbourhood. As Lydia and Helmut got older, the guesthouse was gradually scaled back and closed completely in 2016.
