Category:Hotel Germania, Allentown, Pennsylvania

The Germania Hotel at 112-122 South Seventh Street was built in 1878 under the direction of brewer Benedict Nuding. His Germania Brewery operated in the rear of the building.

Benedict Nuding was born in Wittenberg, Germany in 1838 and arrived in Bethlehem in 1857. After briefly working in the Shilling-Uhl Brewery there, he enlisted in the 32d Regiment, New York Artillery and served in the Union Army until 1865. After the war ended, he returned to Bethlehem and became a master brewer. In 1874 he rented the Eagle Brewery at Sixth and Union Streets in Allentown. In 1878 he established his own brewery, the Germania Lager Beer Brewery, later renamed the Nudig Brewery. He also opened the Germania Hotel which offered his beer, a restaurant and hotel rooms. In 1891, Nudig brought Louis F. Neuweiler, Sr. into the firm and the name was changed to the Nudig-Neuweiler Brewing Company. In 1901, Nudig retired and Neuweiler purchased his interest in the company, creating the firm of L. F. Neuweiler & Sons.

By World War I, the brewery on Seventh Street had become outmoded and brewing was moved to the Neuweiler Brewery on Front Street. Nudig passed away on March 8th, 1930 at the age of 92. Park & Shop, Inc, purchased the hotel in December 1952. The Germania Hotel operated until it was torn down in late 1955 by Park & Shop for a parking lot.