20 years of renovation of the Weßlinger Pfarrstadels

Created: 01/10/2022, 3:24 PM

By: Florian Ladurner

Brigitte Weiß and Michael Pimperl from the “Unser Dorf” association remember the time before the parish church was renovated.

© Michèle Kirner

Weßling - In the Pfarrstadel cultural events or meetings of the Catholic Church take place. A ballet school uses the premises just like the music school or the clubs that hold their general meetings here. In short: Weßling can no longer be imagined without the historic building. It's hard to believe that it would be demolished at the end of the 20th century. It was renovated 20 years ago. Before that happened, however, a few years passed during which Michael Pimperl (69) and his team from “Our Village” fought tirelessly for its preservation. Together with archivist Erich Rüba, who sees the renovation as "a success story for Weßling".

Horse-drawn carts once drove through the foyer and unloaded the cut grass on the hayloft. A scene that took place until 1890, when the pastors were still farming the land or had it cultivated. From then on, however, the parish celibate was left to decay. Michael Pimperl remembers exactly how the building was in the 1990s. A damaged roof and trees that grew between old confessionals, stacked newspapers and disused kilns. "The garden from the barn was completely overgrown," says the retired primary school director. The room that young people had set up for themselves was sprayed with graffiti and pretty shabby, says Pimperl. At that time, the 69-year-old dreamed of a cultural space in the building, which has been a listed building since 1977, and an adjacent village square.“Originally, the Diocese of Augsburg wanted to tear away the barn and build an apartment building,” explains the native of Weßling. However, he and some committed Weßlingers did not just want to accept that. In 1990 they finally founded the association “Our Village” to save the house.

Erich Rüba, who is now in charge of the community gallery, campaigned for the renovation in the building committee. And indeed, in 1992 the community released 600,000 marks and the diocese agreed to a "cold renovation" without heating - only to withdraw the offer two years later for financial reasons. The editorial team of “Our Village” wrote an open letter to the bishop and divided the back and forth into a “drama in three acts”, says Pimperl. Again there was discussion and again those responsible in the church let themselves be changed. In the meantime, the volunteers cleared out the barn, built in 1863, and organized a benefit concert, the proceeds of which were to be used for the renovation. In addition, the people of Weßling got an impression of how their new meeting point for culture,Politics and festivals could look like one day. “Half the village was on its feet,” remembers Rüba. Nevertheless, the people of Weßling were divided on this matter and some spoke out vehemently against the restoration of "the old Glump".

At some point the tug of war finally came to an end and the Diocese of Augsburg, as owner and builder, commissioned a heated solution that could be used all year round.

At the turn of the millennium, the first excavators rolled in and in spring 2002 the rooms were ready for occupancy.

The municipality contributed 500,000 euros to the costs of 2.4 million euros and the monument protection authority contributed 25,000 euros.

The rest of the work was done by the Catholic Church.

The completion also brought a renewal in the association "Our village" with it.

Brigitte Weiß took over the cultural program and Dieter Oberg took over the chair as Pimperl's successor.

The old board of directors started a fundraising campaign for the chairs and benches, the successors organized the stage lighting and the loudspeaker system in order to fill the space with cultural life from now on.

And so it came about that in the former barn, citizens of Weßling today exhibit their works of art, dance, make music and politicize.

"Weßling can no longer be imagined without the Pfarrstadel", says Rüba.

And the critical voices have finally fallen silent.

However, since then the Catholic Church has been paying around 15,000 euros a year for the running costs, says Rüba and admonished: “The building is now getting on in years.” Fortunately, however, the pretty barn is still a long way from decaying like it was back then.

Michèle Kirner