Illegally demolished watchmaker's house: trial discontinued
Following the illegal demolition of the listed Munich watchmaker's house, the appeal proceedings against the main perpetrator have been discontinued in return for payment of a fine. The buyer of the house must pay 100,000 euros to the Monument Protection Foundation and the state treasury. A building contractor who was also charged withdrew his appeal. "The proceedings are thus provisionally closed, the further main hearing dates scheduled have been canceled," the Munich I Regional Court announced on Friday.
However, the court emphasized that the discontinuation of the proceedings only concerned the criminal proceedings. Irrespective of this, the Bavarian Administrative Court had largely confirmed the state capital's order to restore the watchmaker's house in its appeal ruling.
The listed building has been a source of concern for residents, conservationists and politicians for years. It is part of the Feldmüllersiedlung ensemble in the Giesing district, which was built between 1840 and 1845. It was destroyed with an excavator in the fall of 2017.
In July 2022, the Munich district court sentenced the buyer of the clockmaker's house to a fine of 132,500 euros for criminal damage to property and coercion. The building contractor was sentenced to a fine of 4,400 euros for aiding and abetting criminal damage to property.
The court considered it proven that the buyer had instructed the building contractor to deliberately destroy the house with an excavator so that it could then be demolished. According to the court, he had also evicted the tenants by turning off the water, switching off the electricity, unhinging the front door and removing roof tiles so that it would rain inside. Both the two defendants and the public prosecutor's office had appealed against the verdict.
- Despite the discontinuation of the criminal proceedings, the Bavarian Administrative Court had upheld the state capital's order for the restoration of the illegally demolished watchmaker's house, which is a significant monument in the Feldmüllersiedlung ensemble.
- The illegal demolition process resulted in several judgments, with the Munich district court fining the buyer 132,500 euros for criminal damage to property and coercion, and the building contractor 4,400 euros for aiding and abetting.
- The restoration of the listed watchmaker's house is a critical process for the local municipalities, as it plays a significant role in maintaining the area's historical and cultural heritage, providing a living example of the city's evolution and architectural styles.
Source: www.dpa.com
