Save the Siebethsburger Hof: Youth Center required!

Save the Siebethsburger Hof: Youth Center required!

Wilhelmshaven, Deutschland - The former Siebethsburger Hof in Wilhelmshaven has achieved a unfortunate state. Since 2018, the listed building, which was previously known as the "Palazzo" discotheque, has been empty and is increasingly falling. The SPD councilor Detlef Schön is now calling on the city administration to finally take action against this decay. "There is something!", He sums it up and suggests buying the building and renovating with funds from the coal structural fund.

The goal of this initiative? A youth center for open child and youth work. "It is high time that we give this historic building new perspectives," says Schön, who is concerned about the condition of the courtyard. Damage, such as a broken metal case and a full basement, can hardly be overlooked. These problems have been visible for almost two years, and the city has communicated several times with the owner, Carsten Hippenstiel. However, despite a building permit granted in June 2022, the building application has now become obsolete, since proof of stability was not provided in time.

The fate of the monument

Although the city administration has repeatedly asked the owner to remove the defects, many measures have so far been left out. "We have a limited scope for action," explains a spokesman for the city. One can only intervene if public building law is violated. Concerned voices, like Detlef Schön's, are certain: "If we don't act soon, the farm will end similarly to the southern center." A clear call to those responsible can be heard here, to find solutions to preserve this monument across party and group.

The SPD believes that the city should actively acquire and repair the property should negotiate with the owners. The building could receive new uses that support the community in Siebethburg. "A youth meeting place would make a lot of good things," said Schön.

support from monument foundations

It is also interesting to know that the German Foundation for Monument Protection supports up to 600 renovation projects in Germany every year and provides an annual funding volume of around 20 million euros. These funding includes various types of monuments - from churches to castles to residential buildings. A volunteer commission, consisting of monument experts, decides on the projects that receive support. So far, around 7,500 monuments have been funded. If the Siebsburger Hof could be included in the funding, this would give the renovation of the building a remarkable thrust.

In the discussion about the future of the Siebethsburg court, it becomes clear that it is now time to act together. Whether by urban initiatives or private investments - the preservation of this historical object is not only desirable, but also necessary to offer the community in Wilhelmshaven and especially in Siehethburg a new contact point and to live on the history of the farm.

For the readers who want to deal more intensively with the topic, we refer to the reports of nwzonline report and take up the SPD's demands. There is also information on the importance of monument protection on the side of the SPD-Ortsverein that actively work for a renovation.