Unique jewel

Why an ophthalmologist worked on an old border lock

The ceiling frescoes were created by a student of Paul Troger: ophthalmologist Drobec, who incidentally also studied art history in his second degree.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Andi Leisser)

A lock for one euro: It's not uncommon to hear offers like this. The catch: as a listed building, the renovation must adhere to the strictest guidelines. The "Krone" knows why an ophthalmologist discovered his love for a dilapidated building on the edge of the Iron Curtain and also lent a hand himself.

As an ophthalmologist, Paul Drobec once had to demonstrate sensitivity with much more delicate objects. That changed when he discovered his penchant for precisely this remote location: "Rainwater poured into many rooms, walls were crooked, the castle park covers 14,000 square meters: At the beginning, we didn't even know where to start with the renovation. Although: "I still feel the same way today, a work of this size and history will probably never be completely finished," smiles the Viennese.