Reinsberg, Lower Austria, Austria

Reinsberg is characterized today by a compact, vibrant village center with a central village square. In the heart of the village, there are many social and cultural facilities that are connected by short distances. Over 25 years ago, the first development process was initiated, supported by citizen participation, a strong association culture, and good community cohesion. The renewal process was prompted by the absence of a village square, an undersized kindergarten, the threatened closure of the local grocery store, and the aging music hall. At that time, the “Burgruine Reinsberg“ Village Renewal Association was founded, initially focusing on the renovation of the castle ruins and their development into the widely known event location “Burgarena Reinsberg“. Since 2008, Reinsberg has clearly positioned itself as a “Cultural Village“, which has shaped the municipal development process to this day, creating a strong sense of identity and attracting significant regional and national attention.

In 2013, village development was expanded into a holistic process with comprehensive and intensive participation. With the support of a planning office and in close cooperation between the municipality, local associations, and the engaged population, a forward-looking master plan was developed, which still serves as the basis for all considerations regarding the redesign of the village center. The purchase of a commercial site in the center of Reinsberg opened up the possibility for the redesign of the village core. In the following years, the municipality built the multifunctional association house “MUSIUM“, a kindergarten, a hybrid village store, and a central village square. The former kindergarten was converted into a village office that serves as a coworking space for small businesses. Along with sports facilities, playgrounds, an inn, and the fully renovated church, a village center was created where the most important public life facilities are compactly located. Additionally, in 2024, the construction of 24 housing units, including assisted living, began directly in the center.

In summary, through smart planning, civic engagement, and clear positioning, Reinsberg has significantly improved its quality of life and developed an appeal that extends far beyond the municipality‘s borders.

With the clear positioning as a “Cultural Village“, culture now shapes many areas of social life in the community of Reinsberg. An important cultural contributor, alongside other associations, is the traditional music band, which actively promotes young talent in close cooperation with the music school. To further strengthen the cultural identity of the village, a multifunctional cultural center called the “Musium“ was created. It emphasizes the use of sustainable building materials like larch wood shingles for the facade, resource conservation, and the use of renewable energies. The Musium houses the music band‘s club, rehearsal rooms (also used by choirs and other performers), the music school, and a frequently used event venue – all under one roof. This complements the castle ruins, which were converted into a cultural site decades ago, and serves as a space for all residents, shining far beyond the community‘s borders.

From the start, the construction of the Musium was not intended as an isolated project but as an integral part of the overall center development. Vacant properties were identified, needs were formulated, and ideas were collected through a participatory process, culminating in a master plan designed by a planning office. Among other things, the village square, which forms the spatial connection between the Musium and the parish church, was redesigned with recycled, ungrouted paving stones and an outdoor stage, creating an attractive multifunctional open space.

As childcare for young children becomes increasingly important and the demand continues to grow, the municipality of Reinsberg built a new kindergarten with an attached daycare center for infants after the existing kindergarten had become too small and no longer met current requirements.

The project was part of a master plan for center development, which emphasized short distances. Therefore, the kindergarten was located in the immediate village center on the site of a decommissioned industrial area which the municipality had acquired a few years earlier. The architectural design was carefully integrated into the overall appearance of the village center, using larch wood shingles for the facade, which were also used for the facade of the central event building, the Musium, creating a harmonious ensemble effect.

A special feature of the kindergarten is the associated playground, which directly borders the Musium cultural center and the village square. From the beginning, it was important to the municipality that the playground could also be used by the public outside of kindergarten hours. It is available for various festivals on the village square, events in the Musium, public cultural events or private celebrations, and serves the community for leisure activities.

At the end of 2011, the only local supplier in Reinsberg closed. Since the municipality is not an attractive location for large supermarket chains due to its size, an alternative was sought. A solution for operating a village shop was found through the establishment of an association. The hybrid usage concept, which includes staffed hours and the ability to access and make purchases outside these times using a bank card, makes the shop very attractive to both customers and employees who prefer part-time work. In addition to a comprehensive range of products, local and regional producers‘ goods are also offered. Strategically, the village shop is already well situated in direct proximity to the kindergarten, and a multi-generational residential building with 24 assisted living units is currently being built nearby. The future residents will have a local supplier that is within walking distance and barrier-free.

“Unser G‘schäft“ not only offers the possibility of daily shopping in the village but has also developed into a communicative meeting place for the population thanks to an integrated coffee corner. The income from the coffee corner benefits the active associations and thus supports volunteer work in the community. Overall, the new shop is an important element of the vibrant, compact village center that also reflects the high quality of life in the area.

Sports associations also hold a high value in the “Cultural Village of Reinsberg“ and have a long tradition. Until a few years ago, each association had its own venue, but these venues, especially for financial reasons, had significant shortcomings such as a lack of heating in the clubhouses or missing sanitary facilities. With the vision of connecting all the municipality‘s sports facilities and thereby creating synergies that would allow for better equipment, the Reinsberg Sports Union was first established as an umbrella organization, within which a needs analysis of the individual branches was conducted, sorted, and the location issue clarified. Since the new sports house is located near the fire station and the municipal building yard, and these two facilities also needed new heating systems at the time, a joint heating system was implemented in the form of a newly built biomass local heating plant, fueled by wood chips from local forestry. After about 2,500 volunteer hours by the members of the various associations, the sports house, along with two new covered curling rinks, was opened in 2016.

Today, there is an attractive sports center about 300 meters from the village center with tennis courts, covered and weatherproof curling rinks, a soccer field, and an outdoor swimming pool with an integrated beach volleyball court.

Evaluated: 2024