As of: March 9, 2024, 8:47 a.m
By: Florian Neuroth
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At the beginning of the year there was still 14 million euros from the state, now the operator of the largest ski area in Thuringia is filing for bankruptcy.
The reason is simple.
Steinach – Meteorologists are currently in record fever, it seems.
Practically every month they announce new highs on the thermometer.
The highest January ever recorded was followed by the same record for global temperatures in February, and in Germany February was also the mildest since measurements began.
What pleases people who are sensitive to the cold is a disaster for winter sports enthusiasts.
In many ski areas, the early spring weather ended weeks before the actual end of the season.
This is also the case in Thuringia's largest ski area, the Silbersattel ski arena in Steinach.
According to the operator, ski operations there had to be stopped in mid-February due to the mild temperatures - and that now has serious consequences.
Skiers and snowboarders on the slopes and lifts of the Silbersattel Steinach ski arena.
Because of the mild winter, the operator has now had to file for bankruptcy.
© Michael Reichel/dpa
The temperatures in February were too high: Thuringian ski resort operator files for bankruptcy
According to reports on Wednesday (March 6), the operator, Thüringen Alpin GmbH, has filed for insolvency.
This is what the MDR
Thuringia writes
and refers to statements by a spokesman for the responsible Meiningen district court (Schmalkalden-Meiningen district).
The German Press Agency
also speaks of a “financial imbalance” at the company from Steinach (Sonneberg district) .
The agency found that the district court had ordered provisional insolvency administration.
Managing director Axel Müller explained the financial problems to MDR with the “unusually mild winter”.
This led to operations at the Silbersattel ski arena in Steinach being suspended in February.
The month was a “total failure,” says Müller, and also mentions large amounts of money spent on snow production and increased energy costs.
“We now lack the money to get through the low-sales summer months,” the dpa quoted the managing director as saying.
Ski areas are shortening the winter sports season due to little snow and high costs
Other winter sports areas are also suffering from the record temperatures this winter.
In Philippsreut (Freyung-Grafenau district), for example, the Bavarian ski center Mitterdorf recently canceled its season several weeks earlier than planned.
Here too, the reasons were no snow and the high costs of making artificial snow on the slopes.
South of the border, the ski area in Bad Leonfelden, Austria, suffered a similar fate.
“Due to the ongoing warm weather, we unfortunately have to decide on the 2023/24 winter season earlier than planned,” said the operator.
In some places, this is the last time the guests have ever skied down the slopes.
For example, skiing at Jenner am Königssee (Berchtesgadener Land district) will be stopped completely.
Considering the costs of snowmaking and preparing the slopes, not enough people came.
“In order to cover our costs, we would have to charge very high prices for ski tickets.
Nobody can or wants to pay that,” said a spokeswoman.
In addition, climate change was again blamed here.
The spokeswoman referred to regular warm spells at Christmas.
Insolvency administrator is optimistic that the restructuring of the ski resort operator in Thuringia will be successful
It still seems uncertain what will happen next in Thuringia.
The company should probably be restructured; that is what the insolvency proceedings are aimed at, according to the dpa report.
All possibilities would be examined.
He is “optimistic that the renovation will be successful with the support of the municipalities in which the lifts are operated and the Free State of Thuringia,” explained the provisional insolvency administrator Kai Dellit.
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According to the insolvency administrator, Thüringen Alpin GmbH currently operates the two ski areas in the Thuringian Forest with ten employees and 34 seasonal workers.
In the Silbersattel ski arena in Steinach, riders rush down nine slopes.
There are also routes for mountain bikers - in summer the ski area turns into a bike arena.
Managing director Müller told MDR that bike operations in the Silbersattel ski arena were continuing as normal.
“The mountain is calling,” it says on the homepage alongside pictures of helmeted mountain bikers.
Insolvency should have no impact on the multi-million dollar renovation of the ski arena in Steinach
The bankruptcy filing shocked the region just two months after there had actually been a 14 million euro grant from the state of Thuringia at the beginning of the year.
The aim was to renovate the ski arena, especially with a view to year-round use.
Steinach's mayor, Ulrich Kurtz, said that the project worth a total of 16 million euros under the name “Silbersattel Steinach Adventure and Activity Park” was not affected by the bankruptcy.
The non-party town hall leader spoke to MDR about a “difficult situation”.
In addition to the ski arena, Thüringen Alpin GmbH also operates the Schmiedefeld winter world with two slopes, a fun park and a children's and toboggan area.
The Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs also assured that the funding commitment will not be withdrawn.
The investment is intended to ensure the “long-term operation of this important tourist attraction,” “also taking into account increasingly shorter and milder winters in the future,” said a spokesman for the ministry.
The bankruptcy shows once again “that an operator model that is predominantly geared towards winter tourism is no longer viable”.
(Florian Neuroth)