A good reason to celebrate: Bavarian Heritage Conservation Medal awarded to Spesa rehabilitation project

• Hohenberneck Castle Ruins project receives Bavarian Heritage Conservation Medal
• Award presented in Munich by Minister of Art Markus Blume and General Conservator Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Mathias Pfeil in late July
• Extensive rehabilitation works on Hohenberneck Castle Ruins concluded in December 2022

Munich, Germany – Outstanding commitment and extraordinary dedication to the preservation of cultural monuments: In late July, the Bavarian Heritage Conservation Medal was awarded to 16 individuals, journalists, families and communities for rehabilitating historical buildings, researching their local history or transferring expertise in monument preservation. Award recipients included a rehabilitation project carried out by SPESA Spezialbau und Sanierung GmbH: the restoration of the Hohenberneck Castle Ruins in Bad Berneck.

Rewarding dedication

Minister of Art Markus Blume and General Conservator Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Mathias Pfeil, Head of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Conservation, thanked the award recipients for their tireless dedication. “A state without monuments is a state without a memory. It fills me with joy to see that so many people in Bavaria view the cultural heritage of the Free State of Bavaria as part of their identity and want to preserve that heritage,” remarked Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Mathias Pfeil. “The recipients of the 2024 Heritage Conservation Medal are the true guardians of our history and the best ambassadors for monument preservation. I would like to thank them for their unwavering commitment.” Minister of Art Markus Blume emphasized: “Monument preservation is the most beautiful way to honor your roots! The recipients of today’s award have demonstrated this special connection to their local culture through commitment and passion. Monument preservation is far more than conserving our cultural treasures: monument preservation is a way of life.” Since 1978, the Heritage Conservation Medal has recognized outstanding achievements in the preservation of buildings, art and archaeology in Bavaria. The award for restoring the Hohenberneck Castle Ruins was accepted by the Mayor of Bad Berneck, Jürgen Zinnert.

Old walls, new splendor

The Hohenberneck Castle Ruins themselves look back on an eventful – and extensive – history. Constructed as a medieval fortress in the late Gothic style starting in 1478, the structure has dominated the landscape of Bad Berneck in the district of Bayreuth, Upper Franconia for centuries from its imposing position on the castle hill. Yet the centuries have not passed without leaving their trace on the old walls. In order to prevent further deterioration and reopen the monument to the public, SPESA Spezialbau und Sanierung GmbH carried out extensive rehabilitation work starting in March 2021. For this project, the natural stone masonry of the monument-protected basic structure was thoroughly inspected and then restored step by step. The experts from Spesa rehabilitated approximately 2,400 m² of joints in the basalt walls, filled around 145 m³ of fractures in the masonry and replaced the wall coping over an area of 350 m². For further stabilization, 524 masonry nails were installed including injections along with 19 t of trass cement grouting injections.

Down to the smallest detail

“For the rehabilitation of castle ruins like these, every stone counts,” explains Gerald Jech, Head of Special Construction for SPESA Spezialbau und Sanierung GmbH. “Even the smallest fragments tell a story that needs to be maintained and conserved.” After all, this was an extensive project with a clear goal: preserving the historic structure for future generations. The works were successfully concluded in December 2022 and the castle ruins were reopened to the public in May 2023. “We feel very honored that this rehabilitation project received the Bavarian Heritage Conservation Medal,” says Michael Karius, Managing Director of SPESA Spezialbau und Sanierung GmbH. “This demonstrates once again how important the preservation of historical buildings is for the identity of many towns and communities. We are proud to contribute to this endeavor.”