Rectory renovation: Viermünden family receives funding notification

Waldeck-Frankenberg is rich in buildings from the century before last or the last century that are visibly "old" but still do not meet all the requirements to be extensively promoted in terms of monument protection. For this reason, many of the buildings have stood empty for years, sometimes even for decades, although they have been offered for sale for a long time. There is interest in the old building fabric, but there is not enough money to carry out not only the necessary but also imperative renovation measures for a new use of the buildings.

The district has taken up this issue. It supports the towns and municipalities in avoiding vacancies in the localities and promotes suitable planning and structural measures with its own programme for the renovation of old buildings. The aim of the programme is to enable new utilisation concepts for older buildings, to set accents and to create incentives for making rural areas even more liveable. Every year, half a million euros are made available within the framework of this special funding.

A particularly exciting project in Viermünden could now benefit from the programme: the conversion of an old rectory into a modern residential building without changing the time-honoured character of the "parish". First district councillor and head of the building department Karl-Friedrich Frese handed over the funding notification for the maximum sum of 25,000 euros to the Schwarz family, the building owners. "I am pleased that the historic centre of Viermünden will be filled with new life through the renovation of the parsonage," said Frese, referring to the building owner couple and their two young sons.

Last year at Christmas, as a very personal Christmas present, Prof. Dr. Mike Schwarz and his wife Sabrina bought the old vicarage in Viermünden and started the renovation work in close consultation with the heritage authorities. Even before the actual construction work began, the vicarage was upgraded to a single cultural monument by the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments due to its historical significance. In terms of monument protection, it is now considered separately from the neighbouring Petri Church, with which it was previously considered a complete structure. Regional specialist firms are working on the renovation of the house from 1888 with building materials that are appropriate for a listed building, and the parents and even the eight-year-old Janus and the five-year-old Joshua are also working intensively on the project, as well as some friends of the family and family members themselves ... many hundreds of hours of their own work have already been put in.

A historical treasure was also discovered during the work, namely an old ceiling painting in the living area, which has since been lovingly restored by Sabrina Schwarz and thus preserved. In general, the Schwarz family attaches great importance to preserving historical building components such as doors and floors as much as possible during the renovation. If new building elements have to be used, they are made of clay, stone, reed or wood, as was the case when the parsonage was built.

In particular, the extensive use of loam, e.g. for interior insulation, as a natural, regionally available building material, helps to highlight the original construction method as a living testimony to history. "During our conversion, I gained a whole new, high respect for craftsmanship," says Mike Schwarz and emphasises: "All the finishing work is done by craftsmen from the Waldeck-Frankenberg district." The regional aspect is just as important to him and his family as the fact that the new family home is a building with history.

"Bringing life into old buildings, doing something about the many vacancies and thus making rural areas a little more attractive, that is exactly why we launched our funding programme," emphasised Frese, the head of the building department. Not every village is eligible for village renewal with its support programmes, and it is not enough to keep preaching "back to the countryside! All those involved had to do something to implement this, including, of course, in the extended area of monument protection. With its well-funded support programme, the district is really flying the flag in this context.

"These 25,000 euros in voluntary funding from the district are much better invested than for the development of a new plot of land on the outskirts of the city," added the First District Commissioner. Frese did not fail to mention another aspect, that of climate protection and food security, which is becoming increasingly important. "Every newly used vacancy in the core area of a village is at the same time one building less that is built in the outskirts, on a greenfield site." This avoids sealing more valuable soil by building far from the centre of the village, he said. The Schwarz family's home, which has been converted from a parish house to a residential building, is a perfect example of how otherwise unused areas in a village can be brought back to life thanks to committed ideas.

Background

The district's funding programme for the renovation of old buildings is initially designed for five years and runs from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023. It is intended to strengthen smaller villages and urban districts as residential and business locations. Interested building owners receive support from the district's Building Service in preparing their building measures and submitting the application for funding. The interest in the programme is so great that the 500,000 euros in total funds for 2023 have already been almost completely allocated.

Not only private individuals, but also municipalities, clubs, associations or companies can take advantage of the funding. The prerequisite is structural investment in buildings and land in the town centres of Waldeck-Frankenberg with a minimum investment of 10,000 euros. It is desirable that elements of the typical regional architectural style be used in the construction measures.

The amount of funding is 30 per cent of the eligible costs with a maximum of 25,000 euros. Eligible costs are:

• preparatory measures (e.g. concepts for inner development, municipal land renewal),
• structural investments (e.g. refurbishment, acquisition of vacant buildings, creation of barrier-free access),
• Planning costs for architectural and engineering services or

• Investment in basic services and services of general interest

Keywords:

Monument protection Promotion of the rehabilitation of old building fabric Building service Building in the district