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Family history with a future

Moving forward together

Tourism came to a complete standstill in Ridnaun/Ridanna during the Second World War. Although the valley had been spared from acts of war, the war had nevertheless left deep scars. Many men did not return from the front, there was great distress in the valley. The rebuilding work was hard. During this difficult time Anton Klotz suffered a serious stroke and died in 1950.

Once again it was a woman who continued the Sonklarhof. Once the succession as well as the ownership was settled, the daughter Elisabeth Klotz (1922-2008) followed in her mother’s footsteps in 1957 and became the new Sonklar landlady. Elisabeth had attended the Congregation of Jesus school in Meran/Merano and then got to know big city life in Vienna. In 1954 she married Felix Leider from Ratschings/Racines, and the young couple had their son Helmut in 1959.

Under the leadership of Elisabeth and Felix there was a spirit of optimism. The buildings in need of renovation were refurbished, the hotel was modernised and provided with running water and heating. A breath of fresh air blew through the Sonklarhof. In the middle of the 1960s, tourism experienced a real boom in Ridnaun/Ridanna. Felix even had his own ski lift built at that time to boost winter tourism in Ridnaun/Ridanna. In 1973 the lift was taken down and moved to the Gasse. A new cross-country skiing trail was then added as a winter attraction. The Sonklarhof was extended in the 1970s. The highlight was the construction of an indoor swimming pool in 1975.

In 1984/85 their son Helmut and his wife Angelika Mayr took over the business. The young couple, who married in 1979, expanded the Sonklarhof step by step and created a feel-good hotel with an extensive range of amenities. For example, a tennis court was built in 1986 and a miniature golf course was added in 1987. In 1995 an extension was built and in 1997 the open-air swimming pool was renovated. The Badschlössl was established in 2000. In 2007 the Sonklarhof was extended on the east side. The Sonklarhof remained an important social and cultural meeting place for the people of Ridnaun/Ridanna.