Roof renovation of the Salzland Museum Schönebeck

Up to date again. District Administrator Markus Bauer thanks all those involved for their outstanding commitment.

Schönebeck. The Salzlandmuseum has gained another attraction. For several days now, the historic bell on the recently renovated roof of the Salzlandmuseum has been ringing every quarter of an hour. District Administrator Markus Bauer, State Parliament President Dr Gunnar Schellenberger, Olaf Busch, Chairman of the Salzlandmuseum Support Association, and Stefan König, President of the Schönebeck-Bad Salzelmen Lions Club and Head of Department at the Salzlandsparkasse, officially put the tower clock into operation shortly before Christmas. Since then, it has been showing the time between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Unlike in the past, it is now accurate to the second.

The work was carried out by the Beck company in Kölleda, which specialises in tower clocks and bells.

District Administrator Markus Bauer thanked everyone involved for their commitment. The District Administrator said that this joint project shows how successful networked thinking can be. "Many sponsors have worked successfully here over many years." He emphasised the Salzland Museum as a focal point in the Salzland district. The Salzland Museum is important both for education and tourism, he said. "Every investment is therefore an important investment."

Dr Gunnar Schellenberger, President of the State Parliament, recalled his many years of commitment to the Salzland Museum. He also thanked all the partners involved. The President of the State Parliament said that the construction work had been completed on schedule by companies from the region despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Olaf Busch, Chairman of the Friends' Association, also recalled the many efforts of all those involved over the past few years. He thanked the District Administrator, the President of the State Parliament, Salzlandsparkasse, Stadtwerke Schönebeck and the Lions Club Schönebeck for their support.

Stefan König from Salzlandsparkasse explained that without the commitment and perseverance of so many "crazy people", both the renovation of the roof truss and the restoration of the tower clock would not have been possible. "The Friends' Association in particular has once again shown how important it is for the Salzland Museum."

First construction phase on the main building completed. District Administrator: Preserving a cultural monument with supra-regional appeal

Schönebeck. The scaffolding has been removed, revealing a clear view of the elaborately renovated half-timbered tower, the ridge turret and the red roof covered with plain tiles. Anyone looking up on Friday afternoon, during the official completion of the first construction phase on the front building, will see the Salzlandmuseum in its new, old beauty. The most complex part of the roof renovation has been completed. The investment for the first construction phase: just under 400,000 euros. Of this, the Salzlandkreis district is contributing 80,000 euros from its own funds. The refurbished dial of the tower clock, which has also been restored, and the two bells, which are now visible again, also make their own contribution. The large hour bell has adorned the building for an impressive 500 years. Together with the ridge turret and tower, it is one of the oldest parts of the building.

The listed building, for which the Salzland district is responsible and which it has since reorganised and continuously developed in terms of museum content, is now also undergoing roof renovation. After extensive and intensive preparatory work, preparations for a fundamental renovation of the tower and roof of the main building in line with its listed status began in 2020. Construction has been underway since the beginning of the year. In July, the client and builders celebrated a topping-out ceremony. A new weather vane was placed on the finished half-timbered tower.

Since Friday, a sponsorship plaque at the entrance to the building has been pointing out the parties who supported the landlord with financial assistance to realise the urgent project. In addition to the state of Saxony-Anhalt, these include the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Lotto Saxony-Anhalt and the Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung together with Salzlandsparkasse. "We are very grateful for this extensive support. And we are delighted to have successfully completed the construction work so far, despite supply bottlenecks and the generally tense coronavirus situation," says District Administrator Markus Bauer. The district council and its specialised committees have continuously supported the process.

Further construction work will follow. In a second construction phase, the rear building will also be given a new roof, and finally the façade of both parts of the building will be renovated. At the Friday event at the museum, the district administration also expressed its thanks to the companies carrying out the work for their excellent and productive cooperation: the planning office HARTKOPF denk mal architektur, Gereke-Bau, Herlau Dach- und Bau GmbH, Elbe Gerüstbau and the company Beck, which is looking after the tower clock. The Salzland Museum's highly committed Friends of the Salzland Museum were especially committed to its restoration and found additional sponsors in Schönebeck's municipal utilities and the Lions Club. In general, the association and its members are always on board and support the Salzland district when it comes to the preservation and development of the Salzland Museum in Schönebeck.

The house is one of the oldest buildings in the town and is a real eye-catcher in the historic ensemble on Salzelmen's market square, as it originally served as the town hall for the aldermen of Groß Salze. Since 1954, it has housed a museum, which is now run by the Salzland district. The exhibition focuses on salt production, regional shipping and the Pömmelte ring shrine. The Salzland Museum is firmly integrated into the Salzlandkreis educational landscape and provides cultural education for all age groups. It is of great regional importance, far beyond the Salzland district.

The next, then radio-controlled chime of the 500-year-old hour bell will draw everyone's attention upwards. "Hore mi und richte di nach de tid" - Hear me and judge by the time, is the inscription. Along with the historic clock, the half-timbered tower, ridge turret and roof of the Salzland Museum will also be restored or re-roofed.

A highly visible building site sign was erected today. The armour has been on the listed museum building, which originally served as the town hall for the aldermen of Groß Salze and has housed a museum since 1954, since the beginning of the year. It is an eye-catcher in the historical ensemble on the market square in Schönebeck-Bad Salzelmen. The large sign informs visitors about the ongoing construction work to renovate the roof. The comprehensive renovation of the district's own museum is continuing and is coming to a certain conclusion on the outside. The work will continue until the summer.

"We are happy to be able to tackle the next important steps now." District Administrator Markus Bauer recognises the urgency, as the wooden structure of the roof rider in particular is showing its age and interim safety measures are no longer sufficient. "We want to preserve our Salzland Museum, like all our important cultural sites. This has a lot to do with appreciation and at the same time sets new accents. We have already achieved a lot in the recent past. Anyone who knows the museum from before knows that. Corresponding to our ring shrine in Pömmelte, completely new groups of visitors are now being attracted to the region. That's why we are grateful for any help we can get to maintain and develop it," says the district administrator at a site meeting with construction experts and project participants.

In the first construction phase, the roof of the front building and the ridge turret will be renovated in accordance with the preservation order. In this context, the mechanical clockwork in the tower is also to be renovated and equipped with a radio control system. The construction site installation has already been completed. Demolition work on the eaves of the main roof and tower began this week. The Salzland district as the sponsor and the dedicated Friends of the Salzland Museum had searched extensively for funding options for the project, which is estimated to cost around 400,000 euros. And in the end they found broad support.

"For me, the Salzland Museum is a central place that creates identity in the region," says State Secretary for Culture Dr Gunnar Schellenberger. He continues: "I am delighted that the museum has gained an external impact thanks to the modernised exhibition, which attracts visitors to Schönebeck-Bad Salzelmen from far beyond the Salzland district. But now it is high time to turn our attention to the building itself. Thanks to the exemplary commitment of the people of Schönebeck, this important step towards the restoration of the cultural monument can be taken."

In addition to the state of Saxony-Anhalt, which is providing funds from the monument preservation programme, and the federal government from its 2020 special monument preservation programme, the Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung, together with the Salzlandsparkasse, and Lotto-Toto GmbH Sachsen-Anhalt are also involved. This leaves the Salzland district with just under 80,000 euros of its own funds, which the district council released last year. And a lot of work for preparation, coordination and realisation.

Applications are already being submitted for a second construction phase, which will also involve renovating the roof of the rear building and, if possible, the façade of the house. The planning office "Hartkopf denk mal architektur" from Bennungen/Südharz has been commissioned with the technical planning and construction supervision of the first construction phase.

The aim is to preserve the Salzland Museum, a listed building that characterises the cityscape. It is part of the cultural infrastructure of both the Salzland district and the town of Schönebeck and is accordingly anchored in the respective strategic development plans up to 2030. The Salzland district and the Museum Sponsors' Association have been particularly committed to this for years. Extensive refurbishments and conversions, both outside and inside, for a new, modern exhibition concept have brought the institution back to the centre of public attention.

"After actively supporting the redesign of the interior and the exhibition, we are particularly pleased to be able to help modernise the exterior," explains Olaf Busch. He is the Chairman of the Salzland Museum's Friends' Association and has close ties to the museum. His association has applied for funding for the restoration of the Salzland Museum's ridge turret, clockwork and bell and has received financial support from the Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung and Salzlandsparkasse. The ridge turret, tower and clock are the oldest parts of the building.

"We also want to have the mechanical clockwork radio-synchronised from our own resources and with our own funds," says Olaf Busch, "a clockwork, albeit a younger one, that strikes the hour bell from the 15th century. Although we are only covering a small part of the total volume, it is very much in line with our statutory objectives. We are still around 2,000 euros short, so as always, we would be very grateful for any donations," says the head of the association, appealing for further contributions and offering encouragement: "Once it is completed, we hope that the first strike of the hour bell will herald a healthier era."