State to sell old castles

Press, 24 April 1984, Page 38

State to sell old castles

NZPA-AP Stuttgart, West Germany For sale: one twelfth century monastery, one castle in a lake, and one thirteenth century village church. These and 57 other castles, monasteries, nunneries, and villas are being offered for sale by Baden-Wuert-temberg state because the state Government cannot afford renovation costs, according to the District Commissioner, Mr Manfred Bulling. The structures, listed with their prices in a 80-page catalogue, have two things in common: according to Mr

Bulling, they are all historically significant and they all need costly repairs. The castle in a lake is listed at $277,500, while the 578-year-old village church in Jebenhausen, near Stuttgart, is only $2717. But, in most cases, the catalogue omits the estimated renovation costs. The 825 sq m Villa Otto, built in 1842, is listed at $237,380, but the Nuertingen city government estimates that renovation costs would be at least $712,000. The twelfth century Cistercian monastery in

Bronnbach, 120 km northeast of Stuttgart, is the most expensive item in the catalogue with a price of more than $550,000. The monastery, with the castle and palace added to its grounds in the sixteenth century, will cost an estimated SI.4M to restore. Mr Bulling said this was the third time Baden-Wuer-temberg had put historic buildings on the market. In 1980, the government offered 30 structures and 28 were purchased. In 1981, 36 of the 48 buildings offered were bought.