Current Projects
General Renovation
The state of Hessen has been providing funds from the state budget since 1986 to safeguard and renovate the impressive 12th–18th-century buildings.
The general renovation will last several more years.
To ensure the preservation of this European cultural monument for future generations, the state government is supporting the renovation work at Kloster Eberbach with 56 million euros until 2030 and passed a corresponding cabinet resolution in Spring 2021. Cost increases for individual refurbishments, the start of new refurbishment projects and the investment needs of already refurbished buildings over the next ten years have led to this need.
What actions are being taken?
After 40 years of continuous use, parts of buildings steeped in history require the renewal of heating, electrical or ventilation systems. Likewise, maintenance of the building structure is necessary, in particular windows, ceilings, walls, floors and façades. The restoration and conservation of rooms such as the monks' refectory, the baroque dining hall of the Cistercian brothers, which is now regularly used for ceremonial events, are also an important component.
Hotel Extension
For some years now, the demand for adequate overnight accommodation has been growing, especially for events and conferences.
At the same time, interest in Kloster Eberbach as a tourist destination is increasing, further boosted by the challenge of Corona in 2020. After the foundation took over the operation of the hotel at the beginning of 2020, it is now planning – in the spirit of the innovative Cistercians and in close cooperation with the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments – to find ideas for a possible hotel extension.
Two-stage process
In order to continue to fulfil our foundation's mission 'Preserving values, shaping the future, promoting dialogue' and to be able to put the funding on a permanently stable basis, we have been looking for clever solutions for some time now as to how we can meet the considerable demand in the conference sector, which regularly goes hand in hand with requests for hotel capacity," explains Martin Blach, Chairman of the Board of the Kloster Eberbach Foundation. "We are already, due to events not taking place at our venue, unable to make possible an increase in sales.
The aim is to find a design for an architecture that fits harmoniously into the monastery complex and meets the latest environmental and sustainability requirements in an exemplary manner. The architecture should be of high quality but at the same time keep to simple designs. A two-stage procedure is planned. An architectural bureau was first found and commissioned as a partner, which in the first stage will lead and supervise the submission of the various proposals and designs. In the second stage, the three winning bureaus will then be asked to "fill the designs with life".
New Roof for the Orangery
It has been a greenhouse, winter storage for precious citrus plants, a waiting room for guests and guides, and a party location: currently, the aged orangery, which was built in 1755, is being renovated.
Pests have infested large parts of the roof. In addition to this, dry rot has damaged both the beams and the masonry. The renovation will also bring fire protection up to today's standards. After scaffolding the complete structure, damaged parts of the roof were removed and the affected beams were replaced. A completely new space and utilisation concept is planned for the future.
Interior Renovation of the Monastery Church
The interior renovation of the 12th-century Romanesque monastery church has been under way since spring 2018. The basilica is one of the largest parts of the general renovation.
The construction is scheduled for completion in spring 2023. In addition to safeguarding the historic structure and upgrading the statics to meet today's requirements, the aim is also to improve fire protection and adapt the building to its current use. In the process, the overall impression of the basilica will be preserved.
Currently, the wall and vault restoration and the high tomb renovation in the choir area and tiling work in the transept and central nave are taking place.
