Menu dated 2nd July 1905



Luncheon for His Imperial and Royal Majesty Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Prussia aboard the imperial yacht SMY  Hohenzollern (Seiner Majestät Yacht Hohenzollern) while touring off the coast of Travemünde.

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On the 2nd July 1905 Kaiser Wilhelm II was aboard his private yacht, the SMY Hohenzollern, off the coast of Travemünde in the Baltic Sea. One day earlier the Kaiser had been anchored in Kiel where he personally raced his schooner, the Meteor, in the annual regatta.



Just as the Emperor had especially designed hunting menus, so too did he have especially designed sailing menus.



This menu features an image of both his personal yacht and the venue for this lunch, the SMY Hohenzollern, and in the background is the Emperor’s personal racing schooner, the Meteor.



The Hohenzollern, built in 1893, was 120 metres long and 14 metres wide. During his reign, Wilhelm II spent a total of four years aboard the yacht which had a crew of 170 men.



The vessel was equipped with an ice-maker and two kitchens – one for the preparation of the personal meals of the imperial family and their guests; and the other for officers and the crew. In the dining room the tables and chairs were made from maple-wood and rose-wood.

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At the yacht’s bow was the gold imperial crown and on her stern were the imperial arms of the Hohenzollern family (to which the Kaiser belonged) in black and silver and surrounded by laurels.