Old villa fell into disrepair

Wake-up call at last for Magdalenenhof on Bisamberg

For just three years, until 1914, the villa served its purpose as the home of the Dengler brewery clan from Jedlese.(Bild: Zwefo)

After years of hesitation and decay, the historic villa on Bisamberg is now to be resurrected as a psychosocial facility for young people. The strict nature conservation and monument protection regulations did not leave the city, as the owner, much choice in terms of possible use.

Since 2011, the abandoned "hunting lodge" Magdalenenhof on Bisamberg - not to be confused with the inn of the same name opposite - has been waiting for a new purpose. Now Vienna's Psychosocial Services (PSD) are making good on their almost two-year-old promise to turn the former villa of the Jedleseer Dengler beer clan into a home for up to twelve young people with mental health problems under the name "Lene". Renovation is due to begin in March and will take around a year.

Protection regulations set tight limits
The building has belonged to the City of Vienna for almost 100 years, which has never really known what to do with it - partly because the villa is located in the middle of the Natura 2000 area and is a listed building, which is why many possible uses were ruled out. The conversion will also take special account of the building's substance and nature, they now promise. Nesting boxes for birds and bat boards will make the house even more beneficial for the protected ecosystem.

A varied history

The house was intended as a retirement home for the widow of brewery boss Anton Dengler, who came from the Pschorr brewery dynasty in Munich. However, after the Jedleseer brewery went out of business, the house was sold to the city and has since served as soldiers' quarters, a home for forestry workers, an excursion inn and a seminar hotel. The last tenant moved out in 2011.

From March 2026, the green surroundings on the northern edge of Vienna - and with them personal responsibility, gardening, a regular daily routine and the distance from previous areas of conflict - will help the young PSD clients to get their feet back on the ground in life during a stay of around one year. PSD coordinator Ewald Lochner hopes that the young people at Magdalenenhof will "learn a new form of self-efficacy".

District head Georg Papai and PSD coordinator Ewald Lochner(Bild: PSD-Wien/Gabrielli)

Floridsdorf district leader Georg Papai is delighted about the preservation of the historic building and the surrounding nature through the "meaningful continued use". In addition, the nature-oriented refurbishment takes into account the concerns of the people in the district to preserve the area along Senderstrasse as a local recreation area.