The history of the fine cooking and catering trade dates back into China in the 4^th millenium BC. Yet, only few sources are known. During the time of prosperity in old Egypt (2650-1450 BC) the culture of eating and drinking was already very important. Old wall paintings often show illustrations of feasts or even sacerdotal blessings of food. The first real inns and hostels were established in ancient Greece. Here, the catering trade emerged from commonly practised hospitality which was by no means always given for free. Historic writings of Isokrates, Diogenes and Homer tell about the first inns in ancient Greece. This development continued during the Roman Empire. At first, accomodations for soldiers emerged along trading routes and military roads, which were later on opened to all travellers. With the excavations of Pompeji as an example and archeological finds on the territory of today's Germany one found out much about the Inns of this period of time. Though, with the decline of the Roman Empire its nearly 1500 year old greek-roman culture dissapeared as well. In the Europe of the early Middle Ages first signs for a renewal of the catering trade could be seen in monasteries which mainly covered the needs of the numerous Christian pilgrims on their way to Rome. Caravanseries served a similar purpose in the Orient and were established there approximately since 600 AD. During the time of Charlemagne (around 800 AD) the catering trade started to develop further and spread throughout Europe because trade and transport were in need of secure accomodation. The church had great influence on the development of the catering trade further on in the late Middle Ages. But additionally to that, flourishing trade, the newly established bourgeoisie, the replacement of natural economy by money economy as well as the intensification of transport contributed their share. The catering trade was widely distributed in Germany in the 14^th and 15^th century already and therefore the attention of the legislator was drawn to it as well. The first licences for beer inspection" were granted for money by the Elector of Augsburg in 1530. In this year the law about "Reformation guter Polizey" was enacted, which replaced many different regional regulations. After that, a lot of rules for inns and hostels were issued which for the first time regulated the serving of drinks, the size of beer mugs and the purity and quality of beer; even the kind and quantity of different dishes was laid down in a regulation called Zehrordnung". In the course of time guild houses and hostels developed. In the seaside towns the so called "Seefahrts- und Schifferhäuser" emerged during the time of the Hanse. As another speciality the emergence of rathskeller restaurants and post guesthouses must be mentioned whose remainings can be found nowadays as establishments denominated "Ratskeller" or "Gasthof zur Post". In the 19^th and 20^th century technical innovations, improvement of transport routes, increase of the population and an extraordinary rise in travelling gave gastronomy a quick lift which made it an important factor for transport and national economy.

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