People who renovate a monument are by no means to be envied. Even if it’s all done voluntarily, it’s still a tedious business that drains a lot of energy, not to mention the financing. Matthias Zink went to the trouble of renovating the former customs house of the Rothenburger Landhege in Ohrenbach (Ansbach district). In 2013, the 41-year-old bought the dilapidated building. He and his family then spent eight years restoring the building in a way that was compatible with the preservation of historical monuments. The client put in 12,700 hours of personal work so that the building can once again shine with its historic appearance. For this achievement, Zink was awarded the Bavarian Monument Protection Medal in Munich.
Last Sunday was a historic day in every respect for Bavarian monument preservation. Not only because a total of 18 monument protection medals were presented at the ceremony in the Alte Münze. But also because the celebration took place on the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Bavarian Monument Protection Act. On June 25, 1973, in the middle of a period of demolition euphoria, monument protection and monument preservation were given a new priority.
No wonder that the sky laughed on such an occasion. The inner courtyard of the Alte Münze gleamed in the most beautiful sunlight, the rhythms of upbeat music pearled down on the crowd of visitors, and nothing stood in the way of general bliss for a few hours. Especially since this place itself is an outstanding monument. Built in the 16th century as a Kunstkammer building for Duke Albrecht V, it was later converted into the main mint and today serves as the headquarters of the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments. There is hardly a more worthy setting for such an event than this inner courtyard, which will also be used as an exhibition space (“Wait a minute – memorial!”, July 1st to September 10th) and as a cultural beer garden in the coming weeks. The Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Monument Protection Act here with many events and lectures.
The Monument Protection Medal is awarded annually to personalities and communities who are exceptionally committed to the preservation of monuments. While the preservation of monuments may be viewed by many as a disruptive factor, there is still a lot of activity on this construction site in Bavaria. 110,000 architectural monuments and 45,000 archaeological monuments are registered in the Free State – these are still impressive numbers, because the state is constantly being renovated, torn down, dug up and pushed away.
Minister of Art Markus Blume (CSU) praised Bavaria as the country of monuments par excellence in his speech. “However, our rich landscape of monuments is not a matter of course, but also the result of the outstanding commitment of individual personalities,” he said.
The Evangelical-Lutheran parish of St. Sebald in Nuremberg was awarded the monument protection medal for the repair and conversion of the St. Sebalder vicarage.
(Photo: Oliver Heinl/DSM 2023)
It is in the nature of things that there is a lot of arguing in the struggle for a consensus on the monument sector. Even among professional colleagues, opinions often differ widely, which Matthias Pfeil, the general conservator of the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments, did not deny in his speech. He honestly admitted “that there are problems here and there”. Preserving the old, bringing it into line with standards and building regulations is not easy “and the many authorities and we don’t always make life easier for them”. The honorees showed with flying colors that monument protection can still succeed.
Minister Blume expressed his concern about the consequences of such actions with a wink. He saw some in the audience who were almost still marked by the effort, which prompted him – also in view of the worrying hair loss of several award winners – to call the monument protection medal a “medal for bravery”.
This year, for the first time, the medal was also awarded for climate protection and sustainability in monument renovations. General Curator Pfeil was convinced that the preservation of monuments as an institution whose founding principles included sustainability will play an important role in the future.
Historic buildings, Pfeil said, are mostly cleverly built. He emphasized the climate efficiency of monuments that have often been used for centuries, are properly oriented to the weather, have solid walls and multi-layer casement windows, in front of which a winter window can be placed. “Everything is there that climate-resistant buildings need today,” said Pfeil. “Constructed of local, repairable materials, these homes are the very best climate protectors – without a law.”
Hans Well and Sabeeka Gangjee-Well received the medal for the thorough renovation and repair of the Einfirsthof in Polling and seven other monuments.
(Photo: Hans Well and Sabeeka Gangjee-Well/DSM 2023)
In the opinion of the laudators, the award winners have shown that such buildings can become role models in terms of sustainability, energy efficiency and living comfort through proper modernization. “They are role models for a modern, ecological and culturally valuable building concept.”
Viewed in this way, monument protection is always political. The cabaret artist Hans Well, who, together with his wife Sabeeka Gangjee-Well, received the medal for the repair of an Einfirsthof in Polling and seven other monuments, was the only prize-winner to speak. He said rehabilitation is easy when you have good community support. He also appealed to those responsible to prevent the planned demolition of the famous Bavarian Radio Studio 2 on Munich’s Marsstrasse and to place it under monument protection: “That would really help the building,” said Well.
All award winners
Evangelical-Lutheran parish of St. Sebald: St. Sebalder Pfarrhof Nuremberg; Constanze and Matthias Ermer: residential and commercial buildings, Kelheim district; Jura Markt Stadel Ground floor: Jurastadel Pittmannsdorf, district of Regensburg; Markt Falkenberg: Falkenberg castle complex, district of Tirschenreuth; Sandra Schütz and Johannes Maria Haslinger: Red school building, Regen district; City of Karlstadt: Museum of the City of Karlstadt, Main-Spessart district; City of Stadtprozelten: Old town hall and construction of a barrier-free extension, district of Miltenberg; City of Wunsiedel: Felsenkeller, Kellergasse on Katharinenberg, district of Wunsiedel in the Fichtelgebirge; Claudia and Stephan Merkl: Pschorrstadl, district of Fürstenfeldbruck; Martina and Bernhard Nöbauer: Jostnhof farmhouse, district of Passau; Friedrich Count of Right Limpurg and Cosima Countess of Right Limpurg: Sommerhausen Palace, district of Würzburg; Association Zeitreise Gilching: Commitment to the research and mediation of archeology, district of Starnberg; Oberfrankenstiftung: funding in the field of monument preservation in Upper Franconia; Judith Spindler and Horst Traudisch-Spindler: farmhouse, Ostallgäu district; Hans Well and Sabeeka Gangjee-Well: Einfirsthof (former home of the Pollinger monastery brewmaster) and seven other monuments, Weilheim-Schongau district; Matthias Zink: Customs house of the Rothenburger Landhege, district of Ansbach; Gerhard Hilpert: Commitment to the preservation of historical monuments, Main-Spessart district; Birgitta Ringbeck: Commitment to the Bavarian cultural heritage sites on the Unesco World Heritage List.