SALZBURG — Wolfgang Porsche has listed the Villa Europa in Salzburg, the former residence of writer Stefan Zweig, for €12.7 million, leading to public and academic efforts to acquire the property for public use. The University of Salzburg is engaged in discussions with the federal ministry of women, science, and research regarding the potential purchase.

Stefan Zweig lived in the 17th-century Villa Europa until 1934, when the Austro-fascist regime drove him out of Salzburg. His family was compelled to sell the property that same year. During Zweig's residence, figures such as James Joyce, Thomas Mann, and Richard Strauss visited the villa. Zweig described the house as "romantic and impractical," noting it was "inaccessible to cars" and could "only be reached by climbing the more than a hundred steps" of the Kapuzinerberg.

Wolfgang Porsche purchased the Villa Europa in 2020 for €8.4 million. Prior to listing the property, Porsche had planned to construct a 500-meter private tunnel to transport his car collection to the villa. Planning permission for a tunnel through the Kapuzinerberg is included in the current purchase price, and a new owner has until the end of 2028 to utilize this permission.

Several thousand people have signed a petition addressed to federal and local governments concerning the Villa Europa. The petition asserts that acquiring the villa is a cultural responsibility and presents an opportunity to make it publicly accessible.

Bernhard Fügenschuh, the rector of the University of Salzburg, addressed the situation. "There's very much a societal responsibility here. As a university, and as a public institution, we've decided to take this on because we believe the window of opportunity is potentially very short," Fügenschuh said. He said the villa symbolizes Austria's historical responsibility. "This Stefan Zweig villa is, if you will, the most visible symbol of this history, this responsibility, which Austria as a whole carries. And that is why it is so incredibly important."