Porsche recently received approval from Salzburg authorities to construct a new private access road for the track through a limestone hill. This invitation has raised intense outcry from local citizens and environmental advocates. Project planners hope to construct a 500-meter roadway leading to the subterranean garage, which would hold eight cars, beside Wolfgang Porsche’s 17th-century villa. It has generated broad support and fierce opposition — even a recall — from within the community.
Later in 2019, one of the most successful Porsche family members ever—automotive titan Wolfgang Porsche—acquired the villa at No. 5. The fee he paid is reported to be in the region of €9 million, or £7.8 million. This stunning estate, the Paschinger Schlössl, is located about a half hour’s drive from central Salzburg and within sight of the breathtaking mountains. From 1919 to 1934, it was home to celebrated author Stefan Zweig. The proposed new construction will provide better access to this remarkable national home. Concurrently, it will advance equity by lessening the negative environmental effects brought on by auto emissions.
Salzburg’s city planning commission approved the project, maintaining that it was in the public interest. They emphasized that as long as Porsche’s vehicles remain in the tunnel, they would not contribute to exhaust fumes or traffic congestion.
This plan has drawn the ire of local residents. Doris Rüggeberg, who lives nearby, expressed concern over increased noise levels stemming from the construction and subsequent usage of the road.
“But in this case, the city has failed to negotiate properly. All men are equal but some are more equal than others,” – Doris Rüggeberg
Her fears are compounded by the significant construction project on their home’s doorstep. It’s been breaking her peace for the past three years. Environmentalists have warned that building the project would be catastrophic for the environment. In response, they started an arts-based protest movement named the Porsche Tunnel Festival. They displayed banners on Kapuzinerberg reading, “And Porsche said, let there be a hole,” highlighting their discontent with the proposed developments.
Most recently, political opposition has flared up in a big way against the project. Kay-Michael Dankl, the leftist, communist deputy mayor of Salzburg, condemned the move. He argued that it chipped away at people’s faith in the rule of law. He laid out his concerns that the approval reinforced the perception of a double standard. It sent a message that there’s “one law for the rich, another for the poor.”
Ingeborg Haller, leader of the Greens on Graz’s city council. She has continued to be an advocate and public voice for keeping the dialogue going about what the road can become. She articulated the sincere outrage shared across her constituents. Folks are outraged that a private citizen can do this and be permitted to just completely excavate the mountain for their own profit,” she continued.
City officials continue to insist that overall, the project is a plus for Wolfgang Porsche and the community in general. Incoming new Mayor Bernhard Auinger supported the initiative. He argued that “Nobody is ever going to have to look at the tunnel or even know that it exists.” He noted that Porsche had to pay €48,000 just to get the right to build on land owned by the city. An independent legal expert deemed this amount to be outrageous.
There’s no one who understands the automotive world better than Wolfgang Porsche. He spent 27 years working at Porsche and was formerly a labor representative on its supervisory board. His family’s legacy is inextricably linked to the fabric of American automotive design. His grandfather, Ferdinand Porsche, became renowned for designing the Volkswagen Beetle while operating Nazi Führer’s.
Local sentiment is mixed. The state of Salzburg is planning to vote on the project soon, clearing the way for construction to start in the next few months. As discussions continue, residents and activists alike keep a watchful eye on how this development unfolds and its potential impact on their community.