FIRE DESTROYS SCHLOSS ARENBERG

In April 2009 fire destroys Schloss Arenberg. The replacement venue till the end of the year 2009 will be the Castellani Parkhotel Salzburg.

Shortly after 3 PM on Monday, April 20th a fire broke out on the roof of Schloss Arenberg, where two welders had been doing some repairs. Fire fighters arrived within minutes, but had difficulty accessing the burning wooden beams under the copper roof. Thick smoke also hindered their efforts. The fire was finally extinguished at 4 AM the following day. 180 Firefighters used 3,000 liters of water per minute to try and put out the blaze, which coupled with the smoke damage totally destroyed the building. Fortunately no one was seriously injured.

Click here to see the photos.

At the time of the fire a seminar was in session. All participants and faculty were evacuated and moved to alternate housing, some lost their passports and airline tickets in the blaze. These all were reissued during the week and everyone was able to return home on time. Course Director Dr. Kenneth Stein and his faculty managed to conduct almost all their lectures during the rest of the week.

Home to the American Austrian Foundation’s Salzburg Medical Seminars program, Schloss Arenberg is a conference center where physicians from NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Hospital for Special Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, The Cleveland Clinics and Methodist Hospital serve as faculty members to teach physicians from countries in transition the newest advances in all the medical specialities. To date more than 1,000 faculty members have trained over 10,000 physicians from these countries. During the summer months the Schloss is home to cultural programs linked to the Salzburg Music Festival and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, including a children’s music camp.

As the number of Salzburg Medical Seminars increased the board began searching for a larger venue which could accommodate seminars, new programs and foundation offices. In August 2001 the Salzburg Stiftung purchased Schloss Arenberg, a 3,000 sqm, 19th century palace within walking distance of the city center.

In May 2005, renovation was completed and Schloss Arenberg began operating as a state-of-the-art conference center for the Open Medical Institute's (OMI) Salzburg Medical Seminars (SMSI) and as headquarters for the Salzburg Stiftung of the AAF.