DEHOGA mourns the loss of its Honorary President, Ernst Fischer

It is with great sadness that the German Hotel and Catering Association (DEHOGA Bundesverband) bids farewell to its Honorary President and long-serving President, Ernst Fischer. He passed away in Tübingen on 24 June 2026 at the age of 82, following a serious illness. With the passing of Ernst Fischer, the German hospitality industry has lost one of its most influential figures. For decades, Ernst Fischer played a decisive role in shaping the development of DEHOGA at district, state and federal level, and gave the industry a strong voice.

DEHOGA President Guido Zöllick said:

“Ernst Fischer championed the sector’s interests with passion, perseverance and great persuasiveness. Throughout, he remained approachable, down-to-earth and closely connected to the members. With the passing of Ernst Fischer, the hospitality industry has lost a passionate host, a far-sighted entrepreneur, a committed advocate, a brilliant political networker and an extraordinary individual whose influence extended far beyond the boundaries of the industry. With great affection, deep gratitude and the highest regard, we shall always honour the memory of Ernst Fischer. Our heartfelt condolences go to his wife and his two sons.”

Ernst Fischer was born on 16 April 1944 in Geislingen an der Steige. Following his training as a chef, he worked at leading establishments in England, France, Sweden and Switzerland, including the famous Hotel Georg V in Paris and as a private chef in Windsor, England. In 1969, Ernst Fischer returned to Germany, set up his own business in Hechingen in 1970 and became known at the time as Germany’s youngest restaurateur. He furthered his professional skills by training as a master chef and maître d’ at the Bad Reichenhall Hotel Management School. From 1976 to 2012, he ran the renowned Rosenau restaurant and RoseCatering. Together with his family, he also ran the traditional country hotel ‘Hirsch’ in Tübingen-Bebenhausen from 1976 onwards, which he handed over to his successors at the end of 2018 after more than four decades as a host. Fischer’s motto in life was: “Porta patet, cor magis” – The door is open, the heart even more so. He saw hospitality not as a service, but as a way of life.

Ernst Fischer combined his passion for hospitality and entrepreneurship with an exceptional commitment to voluntary work from an early age. After holding numerous positions at district and state level, he became a member of the executive board of DEHOGA Baden-Württemberg in 1989 and its president in 1995. In November 2000, Ernst Fischer was elected president of the DEHOGA Federal Association; he took office as scheduled one year later. He had previously served as Vice-President of the Federal Association since 1996. During his 15-year tenure at the helm of the association, Ernst Fischer gave DEHOGA weight and profile as the industry’s political voice. Among his greatest achievements were the reduction of VAT to seven per cent for the domestic hotel industry, the abolition of taxation on tips, and securing tax exemption for Sunday, public holiday and night-time surcharges. In November 2016, Ernst Fischer handed over the reins to Guido Zöllick and was appointed Honorary President of the DEHOGA Federal Association by the Assembly of Delegates.

Ernst Fischer was a highly respected figure in the German tourism industry, well beyond the confines of DEHOGA. He was actively involved in numerous committees and organisations, including as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the German National Tourist Board (DZT), Deputy President and Treasurer of the Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry (BTW), Chairman of the Federal Association of Music Promoters, and on various supervisory boards, advisory boards and juries within the industry and its partner organisations. His advice and expertise were also sought after in the political sphere, for example on the Advisory Board for Tourism Issues at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour.

In 2001, Ernst Fischer was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon for his outstanding services to the hospitality industry, tourism and small and medium-sized enterprises. Ernst Fischer was also honoured for his tireless commitment with the 58th Brillat-Savarin Medal and the ‘Crystal Globe’, the honorary award of the Tourism Committee of the German Bundestag.

Freedom, tolerance, humanity and a willingness to seek consensus, as well as the courage to take decisions, characterised Ernst Fischer’s actions as an entrepreneur, president and individual. These values remain inextricably linked to his name and his legacy.