Revitalisation Models for Central European Country Houses

Abstract

A country house is a representative building which, apart from its residential function, also serves as a managerial focus for the wider estate. Throughout history, the representation, organisation, and management of a country house have served as complementary economic mechanisms that ensured that the seigniorial estate functioned as a (self-)sustaining system. After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918, life in Central European country houses started to decline progressively. The ensuing turbulent national, social, and political situations on the territory of the former empire left the majority of the country houses to oblivion and decay. However, after a long hiatus, interest in this type of built heritage in Central Europe has significantly increased in the last few decades. In the present-day economy, recognising and implementing suitable models of active use for the manors of the region has become a pressing issue. This chapter begins with a presentation of the historical models of alterations, and deliberates on the adequacy of their implementation today. It proposes contemporary architectural and conservation models of revitalisation and includes the urban and spatial planning models which can contribute to the rehabilitation of wider cultural landscapes in rural parts of Central Europe.