White Horse Inn

Showdown over monument: “Protection possible without coercion!”

The Weißes Rössl (now with a destroyed roof) has stood next to the church for centuries. But for how much longer?(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

The final chapter in the dispute over the Weiße Rössl in Gries am Brenner in Tyrol was opened on Monday. The centuries-old inn could lose its listed status. What comes next and how the owner wants to save parts of the (still) listed building. 

"We filed a default complaint on Monday." That's what Günther Egger says. The lawyer is advising Andreas Vogelsberger, owner of the Weißes Rössl in Gries am Brenner. He is now exerting pressure because he wants to sell the (still) listed inn, but without protected status.

As reported, Vogelsberger had already applied to have the listed status lifted last year. The decision is still pending. The default complaint is now intended to speed this up. Egger assumes that the Administrative Court will revoke the protection at the latest.

 "The building is simply too badly damaged," says the lawyer, referring to corresponding examinations by experts, "the owner had the valuable Prachensky parlour removed in good time and saved it." Other details could also be preserved if necessary. This could be contractually agreed with prospective buyers.

Dispute over an emergency roof cost valuable time
"Monument protection is also possible without coercion and control," Egger is convinced. You have to have the courage to think outside the box: "Preserving the old is all well and good. But it has to make sense." This is not the case for all parts of the Weißes Rössl.

For heritage conservationist Neumann, the former Widum in Spiss is a successful example of how old buildings can be adapted for a new use. The project also won an award this year.(Bild: NHT/Pauli)

For Gabriele Neumann from the heritage office, it definitely still makes sense. Even if the damage to the building's fabric has accumulated since the fire in May last year. The fire destroyed the roof, rain and snow soaked the walls, while the owner and the heritage office argued about a suitable emergency roof.

Neumann refers to an expert opinion from the Monument Advisory Board, which underlines the building's worthiness of protection. It is not just a building, but a central element of village identity. Monument protection and use are not contradictory, she emphasizes, citing the example of Spiss, where an abandoned Widum was converted into a smart residential complex by Neue Heimat and won an award.