“We decided back in 2019 that all of the congregation’s facilities worldwide should become climate neutral by 2037. The installation of a photovoltaic system on the buildings of the first construction phase is an important step in achieving this goal,” said the Superior General of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Redeemer, Sr. Monika Edinger.

The nuns were supported by the specialists in energy-conscious construction from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD) and the city of Würzburg. The roofers are now almost finished and the congregation is well prepared for wind and weather. But that’s not all, because what hardly anyone on the ground suspects is that above the sisters’ heads, Bavaria’s first solar power plant has been built on a monument complex that defines the cityscape.

“Monument protection with a role model function: imitation is expressly desired! The model project of the Sisters of the Redeemer in Würzburg shows how monument protection and renewable energies can be reconciled in a contemporary way. The new Bavarian Monument Protection Act facilitates the use of renewable energies in the monument sector and shows new perspectives for our cultural assets. This is what monument protection will look like in the future! I am pleased that we can support the measure in Würzburg with 420,000 euros from state funding,” emphasizes Art Minister Markus Blume.

In-roof solar modules have been integrated into a new roof covering on the baroque congregation house. These small-scale roof tiles resemble the historical structure and fit well into the brick-red roof landscape of Würzburg’s old town, which is protected as an ensemble. In the future, the congregation house can be the inspiration for the monument-friendly conversion of other old towns in Bavaria, which is supported by the Free State with funding.

“Sustainability is a core idea in monument preservation. The Sisters of the Redeemer’s project is really exciting because the large roof can serve as a test area for the efficiency of such systems. What is particularly nice from a monument preservation perspective is that the modern modules fit wonderfully into Würzburg’s unique old town skyline,” says Prof. Mathias Pfeil, general curator of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation.