Ehemaliges Thormanngut

Ehemaliges Thormanngut (the former Thormann estate), also known as the Rebhaus Wingreis or Thormannhaus, is a historic vineyard house in the hamlet of Wingreis, part of the municipality of Twann-Tüscherz in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. It sits on the sunny shore of Lake Biel and is one of the best-preserved patrician wine estates of the region. The building is now a museum and makes its historic rooms available for exhibitions and events, while the associated Rebhauskeller offers wines from local vintners. The origins of the estate reach back to the late sixteenth century. The site of Wingreis was already mentioned in the thirteenth century, and the Engelberg Abbey bought vines there in 1235; the Fraubrunnen convent is recorded as a vineyard owner from 1344. Wingreis belonged to the lordship of Twann and passed with it to Bern in 1487. From 1587 Hans Rudolf Sager, later Schultheiss of Bern, was sole owner, and the beginnings of the wine house are attributed to him. Through his daughter Maria the property passed in 1623 to her husband Johann Anton Güder, who gave the house its present exterior form and had several interior rooms painted with colourful ornaments and dancing couples. The estate was then inherited through Bernese patrician families — von Büren, von Erlach, von Wattenwyl, von Effinger and von Forer. Under Franz Albrecht von Forer, who took over in 1810, several rooms were modernised, and an original classicist hand-printed wallpaper survives from that period. Through the von Steiger family the estate came in 1850 to the Thormann family, who cared for it for 122 years; hence the names Thormannhaus and Thormanngut. In the course of national motorway construction the family had to hand the wine house over to the canton of Bern in 1972. Thanks to its good state of preservation it was not sacrificed to the road, unlike the neighbouring Engelberggut to the east. In 1973 the Stiftung Rebhaus Wingreis was founded by the Confederation, the canton of Bern and the Interessengemeinschaft Bielersee to acquire, preserve and open the valuable building to the public. Restoration took place from 1972 to 1981 in cooperation with the cantonal monument preservation office, and the historic rooms were furnished with authentic furniture of the house from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In 1980 vintners from Wingreis and the surrounding area founded the Verein Rebhauskeller, which offers its products to visitors in the historic cellar rooms with the old wine press. Today the former Thormanngut functions as a museum, a venue for exhibitions and events, and a focal point for Lake Biel wine culture.

The hamlet of Wingreis (French: Vingras) on Lake Biel is first mentioned in the thirteenth century. The Engelberg Abbey bought vines in Wingreis in 1235, and the Fraubrunnen convent is recorded as a vineyard owner there from 1344. Wingreis belonged to the lordship of Twann and passed with it to Bern in 1487. From the sixteenth century, lords of Wingreis are known from the Bernese families Schütz, Zeender and Sager. From 1587 Hans Rudolf Sager, later Schultheiss of Bern, was sole owner, and the beginnings of the Rebhaus Wingreis are probably attributable to him. After his death in 1623 the property fell to his daughter Maria and her husband Johann Anton Güder. Sager and Güder likely gave the house its present exterior form. Inside, they had several rooms painted with colourful ornaments and dancing couples accompanied by two-line verses. The wine estate was then inherited through the Bernese patrician families von Büren and von Erlach. Under the von Erlach family the interiors first received grisaille paintings, then painted wall coverings. After the families von Wattenwyl and von Effinger came the von Forer. In 1810 Franz Albrecht von Forer von Landshut (as husband of Maria von Effinger) took over the estate and modernised several rooms, of which an original classicist hand-printed wallpaper bears witness. With his son Emanuel Karl Albrecht von Forer the von Forer line died out; he had bequeathed the wine estate to his sister's daughter. With the marriage of Maria Viktoria von Steiger to Friedrich Thormann, the property finally came in 1850 to the Thormann family, who carefully maintained the wine estate for 122 years. The wine house is therefore often also called Thormannhaus or Thormanngut. In the course of national motorway construction the Thormann family had to hand the wine house over to the canton of Bern in 1972. Thanks to its good state of preservation it was not sacrificed to the traffic, while the Engelberggut to the east had to give way. In 1973 the Stiftung Rebhaus Wingreis was founded by the Confederation, the canton of Bern and the Interessengemeinschaft Bielersee, with the purpose of acquiring, preserving and making the precious building accessible to the public. From 1972 to 1981 restoration took place in cooperation with the cantonal monument preservation office, and the historic rooms were furnished with authentic furniture of the house from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In 1980 vintners from Wingreis and the surrounding area founded the Verein Rebhauskeller and offer their products to visitors in the historic cellar rooms with the old wine press. The building is listed in the inventory of cultural property of Twann-Tüscherz and is documented in Andres Moser's Kunstdenkmäler des Kantons Bern (2005).

• 1981

  Restoration (1972–1981) is completed in cooperation with the cantonal monument preservation office.

• 1980

  Vintners found the Verein Rebhauskeller and offer their products in the historic cellar rooms.

• 1973

  Stiftung Rebhaus Wingreis is founded by the Confederation, the canton of Bern and the Interessengemeinschaft Bielersee.

• 1972

  The Thormann family hands the wine house over to the canton of Bern for motorway construction.

• 1850

  Through the marriage of Maria Viktoria von Steiger to Friedrich Thormann, the estate comes to the Thormann family.

• 1810

  Franz Albrecht von Forer takes over the estate and modernises several rooms.

• 1623

  After Sager's death the estate passes to his daughter Maria and her husband Johann Anton Güder.

• 1587

  Hans Rudolf Sager becomes sole owner; beginnings of the Rebhaus Wingreis attributed to him.

• 1487

  Wingreis passes with the lordship of Twann to Bern.

• Engelberg Abbey buys vines in Wingreis.

• Fraubrunnen convent is recorded as a vineyard owner in Wingreis.

A heritage-listed former patrician vineyard estate on Lake Biel, operated as a museum and cultural venue by a foundation.

• Museum visits

• Exhibitions

• Event and room rentals

• Wine tasting in the Rebhauskeller

• Local wines from Wingreis vintners

1. 1Rebhaus Wingreisrebhaus-wingreis.ch
2. 2Geschichte des Rebhausesrebhaus-wingreis.ch
3. 3Ehemaliges Thormanngut – Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Thormanngut (Wingreis) – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org