THE EGGER HOUSE
The “Eggerhaus Project” 2003 to the present
Approximately eight years after the discovery of this historically significant building and the opening of the reconstructed Egger House as a "Museum of Building and Living Culture," the challenge now lies in preserving this architectural gem in a rural setting and breathing new life into it! This is achieved through presentations to a wider audience at events and by offering visitors the opportunity to tour the house. Renting out individual rooms generates the funds needed for the house's upkeep and presentation (see the "Rental" section). The story of this project continues.
2003 – 2006
August 16, 2003 Official opening of the Eggerhaus
as a museum for historical building and living culture.
Despite its opening, the Eggerhaus is of course not yet "finished": In the coming years, the "activists" of the Eggerhaus will be occupied with the design of the outdoor area (wooden fence in the entrance area, farm garden with Hanichl fence, circular bench around the pear tree and more) and the interior area (continuation of fastening the ceilings/upper floor with wooden pegs, house bench, renovation and purchase of various furniture and furnishings, improvement of the infrastructure).
2007 – 2014
During these years, the project underwent a significant expansion and enhancement with the construction of the "Eggerstadl." In 2007/08, a mid-19th-century barn became available, perfectly suited in size and construction. It was dismantled, rebuilt in a suitable location near the Eggerhaus, and has since established itself as a popular event venue. In May 2009, a brick archway was added, connecting the "old" Eggerhaus with the barn. It is modeled after the old farm entrance or the entrance to the former cowshed (see section "History").
In September 2010, the granary ("Troadkåstn") of the "Vordere Gassen" farm (about 3 km from the old location of the Eggerhaus) was dismantled. Its reconstruction had to wait until 2016.
2015 – 2019
August 2015
The unexpected death of chairman Hansjörg Franzelin marked a turning point in the club's activities and the development of the Eggerhaus. However, construction activity soon resumed. The granary ("Troadkåstn"), which had been stored behind the Eggerhaus since 2010, was revived in 2016.
The joints of the log building's components are held together authentically and "historically" using original wooden pegs. Where these are missing, Stefan Hobl has used handcrafted wooden pegs. Elsewhere, old forged nails are used. The grounds are being landscaped, and granaries (chests or storage containers in which different types of grain or the harvests of various owners were stored) are being installed. The granary will now be used as a new feature of the Eggerhaus Museum during events.
In parallel, an important project is underway: the comprehensive, professional pest control of the barn (2015/16). From January 2017, work will begin on the barn extension, which will house restrooms, a small kitchen, and a storage room, representing a significant improvement to the barn's infrastructure. Additionally, a new tiled stove dating from around 1800 will be installed in the event hall, and historic floorboards (from the Gmunden Schleißhaus) and OSB panels will be laid in the barn.
After a break of several years, another attempt is made and production is successful in the smokehouse.
2020 – 2025
During this period, there were no major developments for the "Eggerhaus Project." Planned projects within the framework of the European Capital of Culture, such as a connecting structure between the "old building" and the barn, fell victim to the Corona pandemic, the war in Ukraine, global political turmoil, and the general budgetary situation across Austria. The vast majority of the work consisted of repairs, renovations, and improvements to the barn's infrastructure: oak plank flooring in the barn (2020), acquisitions to improve the barn's catering facilities (2022-2024), renovation of the shingle roof with re-roofing of the lake-facing section after severe hail damage in June 2021 (October 2022), re-roofing of a large part of the shed roof after severe hail damage in June 2021 (spring 2023), new lighting in the event hall (autumn 2023), and much more.