Julius Wagner will follow the coalition negotiations after the state elections in October with particular attention.

The new boss of the charitable foundation Kloster Eberbach hopes that the renovation and further development of the former Cistercian monastery in the Rheingau will have its own paragraph in the coalition agreement for the next legislative period up to 2027.

Oliver Bock

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Rheingau-Taunus district and for Wiesbaden.

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Wagner, who took up his post at the beginning of the year as chairman of the board of the monastery foundation founded 25 years ago, expects a political commitment to the construction of a hotel in the middle of the medieval complex, which has been discussed for years.

In view of the foreseeable investment sum in the double-digit million range, Wagner considers it unlikely that the final decision for the ambitious hotel project will be made during the term of office of the environment minister and chairman of the board of trustees, Priska Hinz (Die Grünen), who will leave state politics in the autumn.

However, Wagner sees it as his task to “massively push ahead” with the hotel project, which has now been well prepared after a Europe-wide architectural competition, because more beds are urgently needed not only for the monastery itself, but for the entire region, where there is a lack of hotels of the planned size .

Playmobil in the monastery

In addition to everyday business, his second major area of ​​responsibility is the development of a new museum concept for the monastery retreat.

Wagner wants to convert the outdated museum into a modern, digital world of experience, because the monastery can give visitors impetus to deal with the major issues of the time: sustainability, mindfulness, social interaction and climate protection.

Temporary exhibitions that are particularly interesting for families, such as the Playmobil show 2021 and the "Vertrickst" exhibition of optical illusions, which will run until autumn, will definitely continue to exist.

The plans for the next two years are already well advanced in this respect.

Wagner is concerned with making the monastery attractive for families and encouraging as many visitors as possible to come back.

Wagner also wants to continue the foundation's efforts to persuade state politicians that the financial support for the monastery cannot be completed at a fixed point in the future, but that this is "a task for eternity".

However, state funding could be lower the higher the foundation's own earning power is thanks to the state's commitment, for example by increasing the foundation's funds.

Optimism based on booking situation

Overall, Wagner and his co-chairman Timo Georgi see cross-party support for the foundation and the task assigned to it in state politics.

If it becomes concrete in coalition agreements and budget negotiations, then of course it is also a matter of political priorities.

Georgi and Wagner are optimistic for the year that has just started: The booking situation is good, the order backlog is high, and some "top-class" artists are expected to attend conferences in the monastery.

The appointment of the long-standing general manager of the Hesse Hotel and Restaurant Association was announced in October 2022.

Since the previous CEO Martin Blach moved to the head of Lotto Hessen, the second board member Georgi had temporarily managed the foundation, which was founded in 1998, alone.

Hinz introduced Wagner as a "recognized industry expert, empathetic host and networker" who would advance the monastery's tourist orientation and ensure its economic success.

Born in Kassel in 1979, the lawyer grew up in the Lahn-Dill district.

For around 14 years, the Wiesbadener was the managing director of Dehoga Hessen and was also managing director of the real estate management company Hogan Service GmbH and the restaurant cooperation Hessen à la Carte.