Construction work at Melk Abbey

Local soldiers as builders for the Lord God

A temporary bridge was built for visitors to Melk Abbey during the restoration work.(Bild: Honorar)

(Bild: Honorar)

(Bild: Stift Melk/Peter Böttcher)

The starting signal was given for the third stage of the renovation work at Melk Abbey. The Austrian army also lent a helping hand by erecting a temporary bridge for visitors.

Let's build bridges! This has now actually been put into practice at Melk Abbey. "Building bridges connects spaces and people from all over the world," says Abbot Georg Wilfinger. The Melk pioneers of the Austrian Armed Forces have erected a temporary bridge to enable the hundreds of thousands of visitors to visit the baroque jewel unhindered in the future.

Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner also visited the construction site to see the successful pioneering work for herself. The third construction phase of the restoration work planned until 2032 includes the renovation of the entrance area of the library - the so-called Altane.

Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and Abbot Georg Wilfinger at the start of the third construction phase(Bild: Honorar)

(Bild: Stift Melk/Peter Böttcher)

In addition to the renovation of the floor construction, the construction of a reinforced concrete ceiling and a new drainage system, the renovation of the louvre windows, book cleaning and damage mapping as well as book restoration are also planned. Around 1.35 million euros will be spent on this this year alone (325,000 euros from the state). By 2032, eleven million euros (from the Federal Monuments Office, the state, the monastery, the municipality and the Friends' Association) will flow into the entire restoration.

Preserving monuments for generations
"It is our responsibility and obligation to pass on the abbeys to future generations. The preservation of monuments is therefore of great importance," explains Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner. The major restoration project at the Benedictine monastery began in 2022: from the façade to the ventilation and fire protection measures.