Rebuffed in court

Weißes Rössl: Major setback for the heritage office

The tug-of-war over an emergency cover for the White Horse Inn in Gries am Brenner is never-ending.(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

More than a year after a devastating fire, the listed White Horse Inn in Gries am Brenner in Tyrol is still without a protective cover. Now the Federal Monuments Office has also been turned down by the provincial administrative court.

The case surrounding the White Horse Inn in Gries am Brenner is slowly turning into a never-ending story. As reported, the listed building has been without a protective roof since a fire in May last year. Rain and snow have already taken their toll on the centuries-old inn.

The decision shows how important it is to improve the conservation obligation.

Stellungnahme Bundesdenkmalamt

Monument office would have paid a lot for protection
And the White Horse Inn will probably have to endure the next thunderstorms without suitable protection. This is because the Federal Monuments Office (BDA) has now suffered another setback in its efforts to install an emergency cover. The Monuments Office would even have borne most of the costs. Up to 100,000 euros had been reserved for this.

The roof was largely destroyed in the fire.(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

Invoicing not possible
After a long and unsuccessful back-and-forth with the owner, the intention was to finally obtain the covering by means of an advance payment. However, the owner lodged an appeal against this. It was now the turn of the Provincial Administrative Court in Innsbruck to reject the Federal Monuments Office. "According to the current legal situation - according to the provincial administrative court - only safety measures that cause no or only minor costs can be ordered," the BDA said in response to an inquiry from the "Krone".

The Monuments Office is now examining further steps. It is noted that the decision shows "how important it is to improve the duty of preservation, as provided for in the amendment to the Monument Protection Act". The amendment will come into force on September 1. It remains to be seen whether it will bring more protection for the Weißes Rössl.