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The Schützenhof winery in the Eisenberg growing area in Burgenland now belongs to the Catholic Church. After no bids were made for the fully equipped winery and five hectares of vineyard at the auction in October, a second round took place in November. The original asking price of 856,000 euros was halved. The Diocese of Eisenstadt received the award. The purchase price was agreed to be kept confidential. The price of 866,000 euros reported by the Austrian daily newspaper "Kronen Zeitung" was neither confirmed nor denied. It is certainly significantly below the actual value of the winery. A spokesperson for the diocese says that there was also interest from investors from Asia during the second auction.
The winery has been for sale since 2022. As no buyer was found at the price of 3.45 million euros, the former owner, Markus Faulhammer, decided to have it auctioned. Faulhammer has reoriented his career and trained as a life and social counselor. The Diocese of Eisenstadt emphasizes that no funds from the leasing of benefices were used to acquire the winery. These are exclusively intended for the payment of retirement pensions for priests. The increase in the lease proposal had caused discontent among farmers.
Although the church has imposed a strict austerity course, it must find new sources of income apart from the ever-decreasing contributions from the faithful. Therefore, it will increasingly focus on the topics of energy, real estate development, and investments, according to the Economic Director General of the Diocese of Eisenstadt. The connection between the church and wine has a long history, and thus this tradition will be revived. However, what exactly will happen with the winery is still unclear. Possible options include leasing to young winemakers, collaboration with experienced cellar masters, or the church producing its own wine.
(al / Sources: orf.at; Kronen Zeitung)