The Rescue of
the Görlitz
Old Town
Lydia Wiedemann
Restorer,
restored interiors at
Schönhof for five years
“I have a special connection to a small room in the Schönhof, which still contains Renaissance paintings from 1526. A great deal of life time and restorative skill has gone into every centimetre of this room.”
The dilapidated Görlitz Old Town
More than 30 years ago, at the end of the GDR era, the old town of Görlitz was in a bad state of repair. Many houses could no longer be inhabited because they were in danger to collapse.
30 years of restoration and renovation
Merchant’s house Peterstraße 7, built 1544, right: condition around 1980
It took 30 years to revitalise the old town of Görlitz. Cautious and lengthy restorations took place in many houses.
The Miracle of the Görlitz Old Town Million
From 1994 onwards, Görlitz received a gift of one million D-marks, or later half a million euros, from an anonymous donor annually for 20 years. This money was used for the restoration of the old town.
“It was a great feeling to be able to receive and distribute so much money! It was very good for the whole city.”
Michael Vogel
monument protection authority and administrator of
the Görlitz Old Town Foundation
And how much did it cost?
The restoration of the old town is estimated to have cost one billion euros. This was money from private builders and from the public sector, as well as from the German Foundation for Monument Protection and the Görlitz Old Town Foundation.
Enthusiasts wanted!
It took many lovers of old houses to renovate and revitalise the old town of Görlitz.
“We wanted to renovate a beautiful old house together. When we bought the house, we initially had no idea how much the renovation would actually cost and how we would even be able to finance it.”
Dr. Marius Winzeler
Owner of the house Neißstraße 24
Dr. Hartmut Olbrich
Owner of the house
Neißstraße 24
“We simply fell in love with this house. However, everything was broken, but it was still there. Today the house is inhabited again, but still shows the traces of its long history. That was important to us!”
“We wanted to renovate a beautiful old house together. When we bought the house, we initially had no idea how much the renovation would actually cost and how we would even be able to finance it.”
Dr. Marius Winzeler
Owner of the house Neißstraße 24
“We simply fell in love with this house. However, everything was broken, but it was still there. Today the house is inhabited again, but still shows the traces of its long history. That was important to us!”
Dr. Hartmut Olbrich
Neißstraße 24
“We simply fell in love with this house. However, everything was broken, but it was still there. Today the house is inhabited again, but still shows the traces of its long history. That was important to us!”
Has the restoration of the Görlitz Old Town now been finished?
Today, the restoration of the old town is largely complete. But it is never finished, because the precious monuments need constant care.
