As of: March 2, 2024, 7:06 a.m
By: Katarina Amtmann
Comments
Press
Split
Citizens in Upper Franconia saved the local pub (symbolic image).
© IMAGO / YAY Images
The residents of Wölsauerhammer did not want to accept the closure of their pub.
They came up with a plan and saved the place.
It will reopen soon.
Marktredwitz - When popular restaurants close, guests are often sad.
This was also the case when the “Nassauer Keller” in Nuremberg recently had to close.
The inn in Wölsauerhammer (district of Marktredwitz in Upper Franconia) had to close as early as 2022.
But the loyal guests and the regulars didn't want to accept that, so they merged and saved the restaurant.
The BR reports about this
.
After leaving the pub: citizens take the rescue of the pub into their own hands
After the restaurant closed, the citizens lacked a meeting place in town.
The regulars met there every Friday, sports clubs celebrated in the pub, and numerous birthdays and baptisms were also celebrated there.
That's why the residents didn't want to accept that the only pub in the town with around 300 residents was closed.
The citizens finally took the rescue of the restaurant into their own hands and the “Hammer Project” was born.
In spring 2023, the idea of founding a citizens' cooperative arose.
Anyone who wants can purchase shares of 500 euros each and become a co-owner.
(By the way: Our Bavaria newsletter informs you about all the important stories from the Free State. Sign up here.)
Citizens save a pub in the Marktredwitz district - and rebuild it themselves
“Every cooperative is an economic company and lives from sales.
And that’s also the case with the restaurant industry.
This has to be used, and if the beer garden is flourishing here in the summer, then that is actually a good sign,” explains Wolfdieter von Trotha, Bavarian Cooperative Association, how the plan can work.
My news
Weather forecast Bavaria: Trend clearly shows where the journey is going in March read
“I don’t have that much”: Pensioner is supposed to pay 250,000 euros to fraudsters – and drives all over Franconia to do so
Truck loses tree trunks - motorway in Bavaria temporarily closed
“Hunters crawling across the street with a pint of beer”: Wild speculation about traffic signs from Bavaria
After long speculation: fairytale castle sold – read “Property is back in good hands”.
Couple dials emergency call: Holidaymakers find themselves in mountain distress because of old snow
According to BR
, the time had come in June 2023
: the citizens' cooperative was founded.
And the campaign was more than successful, as 160 cooperative shares have been sold for 500 euros each.
That's 80,000 euros that can be used to renovate the restaurant.
The Office for Rural Development is also supporting the plans with up to 110,000 euros, and the city of Marktredwitz is also helping.
She bought the building and leases it to the cooperative.
Meanwhile, citizens are hoping for even more share buyers - the goal is to break the 200 mark.
The conversion and expansion of the building, which is centuries old, has been underway since November 2023.
Some cooperative members are craftsmen themselves and lend a hand.
The new kitchen has already been delivered and costs around 100,000 euros alone.
According to the BR,
a chef has already been hired
and there is already a waitress.
However, the renovation did not go without problems.
When a wall was opened, additional water pipes were discovered that absolutely needed to be replaced, and defective sewer pipes were also found.
But now the last doubts have been dispelled and the project is close to completion.
And the restaurant is scheduled to officially reopen in April.
(came)
You can find more news in our brand new Merkur.de app, now in an improved design with more personalization functions.
Direct download, more information can be found here.
Are you an enthusiastic user of WhatsApp?
Merkur.de will now keep you up to date via a new Whatsapp channel.
Click here to go directly to the channel.