Wolfgang Porsche, the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, founder of the renowned sports car brand, is facing strong opposition in his hometown over his proposal to build a tunnel through Kapuzinerberg mountain to access a private garage beneath his historic villa.
The 17th-century villa, previously owned by renowned writer Stefan Zweig, was purchased by Wolfgang Porsche in 2020 for approximately $9 million.
Located on Kapuzinerberg hill, the villa overlooks the center of Salzburg, close to landmarks associated with the musical genius Mozart. The current road leading up to the villa is narrow and winding, making access difficult.
To address this, Porsche proposed the construction of an underground garage with 12 parking spaces in a cruciform shape, connected to the city center by a tunnel through the mountain. The estimated cost of this project is €10 million.
The project was approved by the previous administration of Salzburg in 2024 but was temporarily halted after the elections and a change in leadership.
The opposition, led by Ingeborg Haller of the Green Party, has questioned the legal and ethical aspects of allowing an individual to tunnel through public land for personal use.
“What surprises people is that a wealthy individual can unilaterally change the city’s topography,” Haller said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
The most controversial aspect is the need to adjust the city’s planning regulations to allow for the project to proceed. The Salzburg city council will hold a vote next month to decide the project’s fate, with the outcome still uncertain.
Faced with public pressure, Wolfgang Porsche has made some concessions: he offered to open the villa to public tours after the renovation and allow residents living nearby to use the tunnel.
However, many still view Porsche’s intervention as a symbol of inequality. They question why an individual is allowed to tunnel through an area considered a cultural heritage and public space, while public projects often take years to obtain permits.
Reactions from locals and online communities have been mixed. Some expressed discontent: “He’s 81 years old. Will he even have time to enjoy the new road? If he has a driver, why bother with the curves?”
Others remained neutral or supportive: “If I had the money, I’d do the same.”
Hans Peter Reitter, a retired bank director in Salzburg, commented: “This is politics of envy. We’re arguing about a private garage while the city has so many more pressing issues.”
Whether met with agreement or disagreement, Wolfgang Porsche’s private tunnel project continues to fuel heated debates in Salzburg, where the ancient past and modern needs increasingly clash.
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Wolfgang Porsche, the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, founder of the iconic sports car brand, is facing strong opposition from his fellow Austrians. Porsche has proposed constructing a tunnel through the Kapuzinerberg mountain to connect to a private garage beneath his historic villa. This has sparked controversy and intense debate among locals.
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