As the first hostess of a hotel in Voss, Norway, the ghost of Magdalena from the historic and majestic Fleischier's Hotel is said to reside in room 407.
Fleischer's Hotel stands proudly on the lake in Voss, a wonderful wooden hotel steeped in family history and tradition, located right next to the train station. The hotel was built in Swiss style. This style of building was popular in Norway from about 1850-1910 and is inspired by the architecture of the Alps.
For generations, guests have been talking about one particular room in hushed tones. Room 407, with its pretty view of the water around which Vossvangen is built, is considered occupied, even if no name is on the book. According to a long-held legend, the ghost of the hotel's first landlady still resides in this place.
Unfinished watch by Magdalena Fleischer
The ghost is believed to be Magdalene Fleischer herself, the woman who helped shape Fleischer's Hotel, which appears to still operate under her principles.
Her full name was Magdalene Margrethe von Schlanbusch (1839-1915), the wife of Fredrik Lyth Ørum Fleischer (1834-1906), who founded the hotel after they sold the family church to Voss.
They both ran the hotel from 1864 to 1906. Magdalena saved Fleischer when her husband thought all was lost when the novel building burned down in 1888, just 13 days after it opened. Magdalena independently insured the existing hotel and the novel building for the duration of construction, without her husband's knowledge. The following year the hotel was rebuilt and still stands today.
Witnesses describe seeing a female figure dressed in black moving silently around room 407 or standing by the bed. Sources never claim to have an answer as to why exactly this room. Others speak of sudden frosty drafts that pass through the room without warning, and chandeliers that flicker and glow for no earthly reason.
Despite these disturbing signs, Magdalena is not considered a malevolent presence. Quite the opposite. Both staff and guests describe her as caring and deeply concerned about the well-being of guests staying at the hotel. She is said to refuse to leave because her sense of duty to her guests never really ended.
Touch at night
One of the most striking accounts came from a guest who claimed she woke up during the night and felt a gentle hand caressing her cheek. When she opened her eyes, the room was empty, but the feeling of comfort remained. There was no fear, just the feeling that someone was taking care of him, as if he was being checked by a devoted housekeeper making her rounds.
The hotel staff have their own stories. An employee once stated that the flickering lights appeared when Magdalena seemed dissatisfied, especially if she felt that guest service was inadequate. At such times, the lights were not threatening, but they were intrusive and a still reminder that standards must be maintained.
“Guests who spent a few nights here came down to the front desk several times and said they didn't want to stay in room 407 anymore. They felt like someone was watching them,” said Butler Michael Pedersen. He also claimed he felt or heard someone walking in the halls.
– I heard a lot of women's voices from the toilet, as if they were talking to each other. I got a little scared and hurried on, but I had to go back to see. Still, I didn't dare open the door to look. I was in complete shock. I knew there couldn't be anyone there because the hall door was closed. I ran out and locked it behind me! Source
Also, the descendants of the alleged ghosts have some ghost stories of their own. Asta Maria Fleischer Tønjum's great-granddaughter also worked at the hotel throughout her life.
– Not many years ago, a regular male guest showed up at the front desk and reported an incident in room 407. This was relayed to me, so I called the man who told me that a lady had appeared in the room. She walked over to his bed and stood there for a moment before she faded away and disappeared. The lady was wearing a black, unbuttoned blouse and button-up shoes. The man was not scared because he felt that the lady had a good heart and was there to take care of him. When he heard Magdalena's story, he thought that the woman who appeared to him could have been her, says Asta Marie. Source
A spirit bound by care
Unlike many haunted hotels where ghosts are associated with tragedy or unrest, Fleischer's tells a different ghost story. According to her descendants, she was a sultry and kind woman in life, just as she seems to be in the afterlife. Magdalene Fleischer is said to be driven by love and responsibility rather than sadness.
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Room 407 and the Gentle Spirit of Fleischer's Hotel
As the first hostess of a hotel in Voss, Norway, the ghost of Magdalena from the historic and majestic Fleischier's Hotel is said to reside in room 407.
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