Forest and Environment Museum: charred walls bear witness

Created: 12/29/2021 Updated: 12/29/2021, 11:07 AM

The outer walls around the balcony on the west facade of the Forest and Environment Museum have been badly charred since the fire.

They should stay that way, as a testimony to the violence of fire.

© pke

Two years ago a devastating fire severely damaged the Ebersberg Forest and Environment Museum.

The house on Ludwigshöhe is to be reopened in a few months.

A tour.

Ebersberg

- It was two years ago, almost to the day: on December 18, 2019, the Forest and Environment Museum burned down on Ludwigshöhe in Ebersberg. It is probably thanks to passers-by that the Ebersberg fire brigade was able to be on site before the smoke detector, i.e. the alarm, was triggered, thus preventing major damage. Nevertheless: The roof of the annex adjacent to the listed building, including the photovoltaic system on it, as well as the west facade of the historic “Jagerhäusl” were on fire. Damage of around 1.1 million euros was incurred. As before, arson is believed to be the cause, but a perpetrator could never be arrested. The investigation has since been discontinued.

"It is clear that the fire started outside," explains graduate geoecologist Andreas Puhr, research assistant at the museum, who represents Hannes Müller, the museum director who is currently ill.

“In any case, a thrown away cigarette could not have been the cause.” Fortunately: the inside of the building remained intact, or at least it was not affected by the flames.

Smoke damage and fire extinguishing water damage can of course be found here.

"Back then, the fire brigade also had to tear down interior partition walls in order to be able to extinguish the fire at all," remembers Puhr, who emphasizes how glad he is that nothing valuable from the museum's holdings was destroyed by the fire.

The fire broke out on December 18, 2019.

Here firefighters can be seen extinguishing the roof of the museum.

© Stefan Rossmann

Back then, shortly after the fire, the roof was provisionally covered with a tarpaulin very quickly before scaffolding was set up so that a protective roof could be attached from there. This was followed by an appraisal taking into account the protection of historical monuments. Then the renovation started.

First the partition walls had to be torn out and the inventory had to be removed, including the valuable and famous wooden library of Candid Huber.

Finally, large parts of the roof were renewed and reinsulated.

In some cases, burned roof beams even had to be replaced.

In addition to the roof, the renovation measures mainly affected the exhibition areas on the ground floor and first floor of the new building, as well as the west facade of the historic part.

The outside walls around the balcony are still charred.

They should stay that way, as a testimony to the violence of fire.

A new photovoltaic system has been on the roof since mid-December and is already in operation.

© pke

The museum is still scaffolded.

Work is still underway to repair the damage.

However, the end is in sight.

If everything goes well, everything will be ready by the end of April.

The scaffolding should be dismantled in January.

The windows in the extension were renewed and the electrics were relocated.

A new photovoltaic system has been on the roof since mid-December and is already in operation.

The basement, the area that is usually available for special exhibitions, is also being renovated.

Even if it wasn't caught by the fire, so much soot had got there through the ventilation that there was no avoiding renovation.

This fact was used to install a kitchen there.

Incidentally, the ventilation system will also be replaced.

In future, their headquarters will no longer be located under the roof as before, but in the basement.

Andreas Puhr, research assistant at the museum, guides you through the rooms. © pke

“The roof is ready,” beamed Puhr, “only a few leftover clapboards still have to be put in place. Then the scaffolding can be dismantled. ”Wood paneling outside and inside is still missing, a few electrical work and the painting work. “Even if it doesn't look like it at the moment, everything will be done soon.” From May the house will be reopened to the public. A ceremonial opening is not planned until 2023, when the new permanent exhibition is also up and running. That is because it will be revised in the course of the renovation work. If you want to bring them up to date, that means that the level of knowledge, technology and communication formats are updated (estimated costs for this: around 600,000 euros). Until the new permanent exhibition is upthe museum is planning a temporary solution with exhibits from the inventory, also in order to be able to open the house not only during special exhibitions. The next special exhibition (with caricatures) is planned for May next year. The temporary exhibition is to be opened at the same time.

You can still smell the fire, especially when you stand on the west facade of the Jagerhäuserl, where a memorial has now been placed on the fire: from now on that is simply part of it.

pke