Meiningen cooperative nears funding goal for new village inn

In Meiningen, Austria, a cooperative project named ‘Frenerhus’ is working to establish a new village inn to serve as a central community meeting point. The initiative, led by Thomas Muther and architect Ulrich Feistenauer, aims to raise 500,000 euros by the end of 2026 to renovate and expand a 120-year-old building located next to the local church.

As of the latest reports, the project has already secured three-quarters of its funding goal. Participants can purchase shares in the cooperative for 500 euros each. The cooperative’s role is to manage the building and lease it to a professional innkeeper, rather than operating the gastronomy services directly. The lease income will be used to repay the necessary loans.

The project is part of a broader effort to develop the village center, which includes plans for a new village square with a fountain and seating areas between the inn and the church. This comes amid regional discussions in Vorarlberg regarding the ‘Wirtshauspakt’, a state initiative providing annual support for village inns to maintain local social hubs.