What are the sons of Baroness zu Guttenberg planning to do with Salzburg?
Gone are the days when Salzburg was purely the residence of the Guttenberg family and was largely closed. The residence WILL still not be open to the public, but the sprawling Salzburg with its walls and towers, its gardens and courtyards is to be released for events, celebrations and weddings. Renovation work is currently being carried out for this purpose. Karl Ludwig von und zu Guttenberg is currently developing ideas on how the centuries-old castle complex can be opened up to a larger audience.
There is a total change
“There will be a total change,” Ines von und zu Guttenberg is certain. In the past few years, Salzburg was largely closed to those interested, with the exception of the large inner courtyard with the Bonifatius chapel and the gastronomic operation. That has only changed in recent years under the direction of Ines von und zu Guttenberg. Guided tours through the gardens, events such as the Salzburg classic or smaller summer concerts in the chapel were possible. Ines von und zu Guttenberg’s two sons are now taking over the management of the Salzburg.
Karl Ludwig Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg and his brother Johann Zeno want to break the closedness of the people of Salzburg and make them accessible for a much larger number of events. Karl Ludwig can well imagine concerts, guided tours, weddings, celebrations, exhibitions and much more from and to Guttenberg on the Salzburg. The baron, who lives in Berlin and regularly travels to Bad Neustadt, would like to aggressively market Salzburg. The living area of the von Guttenberg family remains largely excluded from this.
Formerly at the Bild newspaper
Karl Ludwig Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg, 53, grew up in Würzburg and went to school. After graduating from high school, he increased communications design in Hamburg. Guttenberg held a managerial position in an advertising agency in Hamburg until 2006, followed by 15 years as head of service at the Bild Zeitung. After leaving the media company, Guttenberg is looking for a new challenge in Salzburg.
“The mint, the church, the hunting lodge and the gastronomy. Everything is already there,” says Guttenberg. “We just have to repurpose it in a lot of ways.” This also includes the Jägerhaus, which has only been completely renovated in recent years. This should be dedicated to a branch of the registry office and thus be made available for weddings. If catering is desired at celebrations, the O Sole Mio restaurant in Salzburg is available.
The coin as the core
The core of the future use of the Salzburg lies in the so-called “coin”. The striking house with the beautiful Gothic windows facing the inner courtyard is currently being renovated. Once reached, the 67.5 square meter room should offer a multitude of possibilities. The coin should also be open to both courtyards and used for catering purposes at large events. The building in the middle of the Salzburg with its distinctive windows WILL play a key role in future use of the Salzburg.
The Guttenbergs and the Salzburg
From the Middle Ages to modern times, numerous families have shared property in and around Salzburg. First, the Würzburg bailiff Egid Felix von Borié (1719-1793) tried to acquire as many estates as possible in the second half of the 18th century. An aspiration that his successor Werner von Haxthausen (1780-1842) also tried to achieve. His widow Elisabeth is considered to be the founder of the spa in 1853. After her death, she inherited the property to her daughter Maria and her husband Otto von Brenken. However, the latter died in 1884 at the age of only 33, his young widow Maria then left Salzburg and Neuhaus and went to Munich. There she married Theodor von Guttenberg in her second marriage in 1888. Under his management, all properties were finally able to pass into the possession of the Guttenberg family (1893). Theodor Guttenberg and his wife Maria support the up-and-coming Neuhaus spa in a special way. When Theodor von Guttenberg died at the age of 50 in 1904, his sons Georg Enoch and Karl Ludwig inherited the Salzburg. Under their management, a lot of money was invested in the renovation of the Voitschen residence, which is still the family residence in Salzburg today. Karl Ludwig von Guttenberg was murdered in the last days of World War II. After the war, his widow Therese von Guttenberg moved to Salzburg with her three children, where she lived until her death in 1980. Her son Johann Bertold and his wife Ines von und zu Guttenberg have been in charge of the fortunes of Salzburg since 1964. Ines von und zu Guttenberg lives to this day and will continue to do so in Salzburg.
www.die-salzburg.de.
Source: Rupprecht, Klaus: New life in old walls – the barons of Guttenberg and the Salzburg. In: Wagner, Heinrich and Joachim Zeune (eds.): The Salzburg Book. Bad Neustadt 2008