The farm "'S Weileschnieder's" in Engwiller, Alsace.

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Carole Waldvogel

  • The Heritage Foundation and the owners are appealing for donations for the restoration of an Alsatian farm.

  • Located in Engwiller, north of the Bas-Rhin, it had been unoccupied for ten years.

  • The new owners, passionate about Alsatian architecture, have put together a complete file and want to demonstrate that it is possible to save the heritage of the region, while each year more than 300 traditional houses disappear.

For Gilles Becker and his partner Carole Waldvogel, there is no question of leaving a traditional house abandoned.

If in Alsace 300 of them disappear each year, in Engwiller in the north of the Bas-Rhin, the farm "'S Weileschnieder's" dating from the beginning of the 18th century, has found passionate buyers.

So invested that their restoration project has obtained the favorable opinion of the architect of the buildings of France but above all the precious support with the label of the Heritage Foundation.

The Foundation has just launched, and this is quite rare for a project led by individuals, a call for donations in order to obtain 16,000 euros out of the 80,000 that the site represents.

"A dream of youth"

It must be said that the couple, quads from Alsace who fell in love with this building, put all the chances on their side and do not intend to do things by halves.

The restoration which has already started is carried out according to traditional techniques and respects all the codes of Alsatian architecture.

The new owners tackled sections of half-timbering which had been replaced after the wars by stone rubble.

In addition to these replaced rubble stones and plaster redone with lime, the roof has also been replaced by traditional “Bieberschwantz” tiles.

"So that it lasts for centuries" rejoices the happy owner.

This restoration is also the joy of the neighborhood, because the farm, uninhabited for ten years, is in the central square of the village.

Place which has retained all of its original half-timbered houses thus presenting "a remarkable architectural unity", underlines the Heritage Foundation.

“A renovation with also entertainment objectives to share their passion,” adds Pierre Goetz, head of the regional delegation of the Foundation.

If all Alsatian houses were supported with all these guarantees!

There, it is the ultimate, an example of what to do with a very complete file and educational projects that will allow sharing and showing those who are interested in it that we can do something. to save these houses ”.

“It was a childhood dream to restore an Alsatian house,” says Carole Waldvogel who, like her companion, a mason by trade, member of the Association for the Protection of the Alsatian House (Asma).

“They provided us with a great deal of technical support, advice.

What is important is knowing when you want to restore an Alsatian house, that you are not alone, it is possible.

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