The architecture of Gut Hochreute represents a typical style of construction that was popular amongst affluent townspeople in the last third of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, although this was not the case in the mountainous area outside the towns, and especially not in the poorer areas. This is why the four original buildings are historically protected, including the villa facilities, i.e. the furniture, lamps and wall paneling.
The Diamond Way Buddhism Foundation supports the restoration of the original quality and the preservation of the historical substance, and it has made the architectural jewel available again to the public.
Since acquiring the property in 2007, the old buildings are continually being restored by volunteer professionals – from the bespoke original furnishings in the villa and the “beaver-tail” tiles outside to the many, many square meters of roof on all of the buildings.
It would have been difficult to find a private buyer for Gut Hochreute, as the property requires a lot of maintenance. Commercial use, e.g. as a hotel, would have required major restructuring in order to be profitable.
In either case the public still would have been denied access to the historically protected buildings. Its use as a city-owned museum, on the other hand, would have been very expensive for Immenstadt. So, the charitable foundation was the ideal owner, as it would enable the people of Immenstadt to visit the historical Art Nouveau buildings through semi-public use.
Nature in connection with people and their needs was a priority for the Diamond Way Buddhism Foundation when it bought Gut Hochreute.
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The Buddhism Foundation has built drainage systems for the land. Forestry management and replanting have also been resumed.
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The buildings at the over 100-year-old Gut Hochreute are nestled in the beautiful Allgäu mountains with a view of the “Großer Alpsee”.
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