Vierkanter farmhouses - New life in old farmhouses

Short description

- Maintenance of the Vierkanter as a cultural heritage and as agricultural holdings

-contribution to the strengthening of regional identity in the participating regions

-Strengthening rural structures (innovative strategies)

-To raise awareness of the trademark of our regions so that the next generations can also admire, inhabit and manage these valuable buildings!

Point of departure

Linz-Land and the Traunviertler Alpenvorland form the core zone of the Vierkanter in Upper Austria.

-Networking of the topic of Vierkanter with the Moststrasse region (Lower Austria)

- The Vierkanter is the trademark and identity-forming feature of the region as well as a valuable cultural asset.

-The conservation and use of the large farmhouses is often a problem as in most cases they are without livestock, managed part-time, partly empty, but also due to the restructuring of agriculture.

-Existing new possibilities of use

Project implementation and measures

-Development of a practical guide with the following contents: best practices, information on possible uses, renovation, legal and fiscal framework conditions, subsidies, etc.

- Information series with target group-specific events, lectures, excursions, round tables on various key topics

-awareness raising and public relations (e.g. competition on the most precious Vierkanter, internet presence)

-Development of educational offers

-Networking and exchange of experiences between the actors in Upper Austria and Lower Austria

Results and effects

In November 2010 the opening event of the project took place at the Burnerhof in Ansfelden. Professor Dr. Heimo Czerny, historian from Lower Austria, took the visitors on an exciting journey into the history of the Vierkanter, the project activities were presented and there was already a lively cross-border exchange on the subject of Vierkanter.

Next to the development of the guide, a "Vierkanter competition" is on the programme for 2011: a cross-border search for the most precious Vierkanter in order to bring the cultural heritage of our regions that shapes the landscape into the center of attention!

In the three participating Leader regions the year 2012 will be completely devoted to the motto "Vierkanter" to raise awareness of the regions' trademarks in a wide variety of events and initiatives!