(BZ). Joshua Frey, a Green Party member, said he was impressed by the courage and creativity of the civil society project Hofgut LEO at Gasthaus Lwen in Gresgen. He recently met with the initiators of this ambitious project, Thomas Hahn and Fernfried Hepschmann, to find out their vision and the current state of affairs.

“I am pleased that the great potential of our rural area has been recognized in this project. Cooperative structures with a multifunctional concept are particularly useful here. When handicrafts, restaurants and village shops are on site and closely integrated, local added value is created. This benefits people and the environment.”

“Lwen” has been a seminar house for the past 20 years. Now the beautiful traditional building, which has been inhabited for several years but not actively managed, will be awakened from its slumber and revitalized. For this purpose, a group of committed people have come together, reportedly, to found the “Hofgut LEO eG” cooperative.

It is set to become a model project for regional and regenerative village development: a place of learning and development in the southern Black Forest, a place of retreat and an innovative laboratory of the future. There is no shortage of ideas: there should be seminars on the topics of health, character development, leadership skills and community building. The garden economy will be revitalized, and a cafe is planned in the village, and possibly a shop in the village as well. In addition to rooms in the hotel for conference guests, maisonettes (mini-houses) and treehouses for holidays will be built in the surrounding area and in the village. Members and private investors can use their commitment to the reward system – for seminars, courses or holidays. The next step will be the purchase of “The Lion”.