The History of Hostels
Since the turn of the 20th century, the world has seen major changes. From world wars and global pandemics to financial crises and incredible technological advances, one thing has always remained the same, though: people want to travel. They have, and always will, need safe, sustainable ways to travel.
Hostels, in their 117-year history, have been just that. The first-ever hostel appeared in Germany in 1909, when a teacher named Richard Schirrmann saw a need for a place in nature where his students could sleep while enjoying and appreciating the natural world. Schirrmann valued being out in nature and saw the still unrefined concept of hostels as a means to get there. Three years later, in 1912, Schirrmann would go on to open the first official hostel, located in Altena Castle, a castle that dates back to the 12th century.
Unbeknownst to him at the time, Schirrmann would become the father of modern hostels, and he would go on to found the German Youth Hostel Association. Flash forward to the 1930s, and thousands of youth hostels popped up across Germany. It was during the 1930s that the International Youth Hostel Foundation was formed, which later became Hostel International (HI). Today, HI has 58 member associations across the globe and has more than 2,000 hostels.
The Growth of the Industry
At one point, Franklin D. Roosevelt served as the honorary president of American Youth Hostels (AYH), and he spoke highly of their impact and the benefits they can provide young travelers. Through the 1940s, the hostel industry experienced a boom, especially following World War II. That surge continued in the 1950s, when bicyclists began hitting the road and looking for accommodations in remote areas. Continuing through the 1960s and 1970s, hostels remained popular due to the rise in counterculture and the hippie movement in America.
With people feeling the need to live differently, to live with less, and to travel and experience the world, the concept of hostels grew in popularity, and they continued to expand across the globe.
Today, hostels operate in all types of geographical locations, from major metropolitan areas to faraway, remote areas. While hostels typically cater to backpackers looking to save money on their accommodations, they continue to benefit travelers from all different backgrounds and economic brackets. They continue to welcome people with different stories, fresh perspectives, and that common desire to travel.
Since their inception, hostels have popped up on ancient and historic trading routes like the Old Silk Road. For travelers wanting to do anything from walking the Camino de Santiago and exploring ancient ruins in Central and South America, to tasting the nightlife in major cities like New York City or Tokyo, hostels have become the vessel for travelers to have those experiences. A large part of their appeal has, and continues to be, their affordability for travelers, plus the social atmosphere they naturally cultivate by bringing people together from all over the world.
