Nome craftsmen are still working on the finishing touches, but the first of two challenging steps towards the renovation of a Rheingau cultural monument is nearing the home straight. Frankfurt entrepreneur and patron of the arts Claus Wisser recently treated himself to a present by celebrating his 80th birthday at the Johannisberg monastery. The birthday concert of the Rheingau Music Festival for him in the newly renovated monastery church showed the potential of this ensemble in a prominent position in the wine village of Johannisberg.
The public can now see this for themselves. Because the “little sister” of the Rheingau Music Festival, the Rheingau Literature Festival, is holding two public readings in the monastery next week: the writer Martin Mosebach will read from his novel “Taube und Wildente” and the Leipzig author Heike Geißler will present her debut novel “The Week” before. This will not just be a short literary interlude on a brand new stage.
Craftsmen remain permanent guests
From now on, Wisser will carefully use the former monastery, including the cloister, which has been renovated in an exemplary manner and decorated with works of art from his private collection, as well as the beautiful inner courtyard. Johannisberg choirs will presumably be allowed to rehearse and perform concerts again in the 220-seat church, which was secularized many years ago. Some rooms have been prepared for smaller conferences and seminars. The seven suites are also to be rented out now, although a breakfast service is not yet an option.
However, each suite has a small kitchenette and thus the possibility of self-sufficiency. It is foreseeable that the craftsmen will continue to be among the permanent guests on the almost two-hectare monastery grounds. Because the still outstanding general renovation of the hotel wing is a task that Wisser will face in the next two to three years. The east wing of the building has already been demolished and an application has been made to demolish the west wing.
After that, the symmetry of the building will be restored and the building from the mid-19th century will have an architectural appearance similar to the front of Schloss Hansenberg. Instead of around 40, there will only be around 15 spacious rooms. The church and hotel are once again standing there as solitaires. A basement is being built on the open space below and partially below the buildings, which is urgently needed as a storage room.
When Wisser took over the monastery in 2017, he called the upcoming renovation of the former convent his “last great adventure”. Why, that was immediately clear to every visitor during the construction phase, because Wisser made a clean sweep: floors were torn out, the entrance was redesigned, an elevator was installed. Walls were torn down, hidden pillars uncovered. It was the architectural transformation back into a rough diamond, which was professionally re-cut at great expense.
“Apart from the shell, nothing is left”
The monastic past is architecturally quoted in many places inside and staged by means of a sophisticated lighting concept. The effort that Wisser puts into the monastery is enormous. The imposing church windows have been restored by the Taunussteiner Derix glass studios, which are known for their internationally important glass art projects. An acoustician removed the excessively long reverberation time from the room by installing slats.
The organ was completely overhauled by a specialist. A vegetable and fruit garden is to be planted on the roof of the cloister. A catering kitchen is attached to the church. Architect Nicole Cezanne, who is supervising the renovation work for Wisser, enthuses about the phenomenal view of the completely redesigned outdoor area that hardly any cook has such a beautiful view.
There is a small chapel next to the cemetery of the 30 Benedictines, which reminds of the past of the ensemble. The building collapsed while attempting to rehabilitate the small chapel. Wisser had a new building built. The graves were not touched, even if their time has expired and the cemetery could be abandoned. The Johannisberg monastery was built in 1853 by the “Hydrosanal Society of Johannisberg” as a mental hospital with initially 13 rooms.
In 1920 the building was taken over by the Benedictine monastery of Sankt Johannis and successively expanded. The church was consecrated in 1929. The ensemble includes vineyards that are managed by the Episcopal Winery Rüdesheim. The diocese of Limburg took over the monastery in 1991 after the Benedictine nuns moved out and rented it to the Steyler missionary sisters until 2004.
In 2005, the monastery was then sold to non-industry investors from the Rheingau. They filed for bankruptcy for the hotel and catering business in 2017, and Wisser acted spontaneously. Initial considerations of partially operating the monastery and renovating it within one to two years were quickly shelved. “Apart from the shell, nothing remained,” says Wisser, looking back on the need to tackle the renovation comprehensively.
At that time he had imagined things differently, says Wisser. Also from an economic point of view. But Wisser stands by his principle that once he starts something, he will finish it: “Finish it well.” And because such a commitment will never pay off in terms of returns, Wisser hopes that at least regular operations will continue after the hotel renovation with black numbers is possible. Even if the project is primarily “a gift to the region”.
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