Augustinian Sisters Regina, 86, Rita, 81, and Bernadette, 88, walk, as they occupy their old convent in Goldenstein castle in Elsbethen, Austria, Sept. 12, 2025, near Salzburg, and refuse to move back to their retirement home. (OSV News photo/Angelika Warmuth, Reuters) Solidarity from Germany: three elderly nuns occupying their former convent in Goldenstein have been given a new stairlift – donated by a company from northern Hesse. The installation is celebrated on Instagram.
The solidarity with three elderly nuns from Austria shows no sign of abating. On Thursday, a German company installed a new stair lift for the nuns, who are over 80 years old, at Goldenstein Castle near Salzburg. Sisters and craftsmen from the North Hessian company published videos on Instagram showing the installation of the seat lift.
The company writes on its website: “We spontaneously decided to install new stairlifts for the three sisters free of charge and thus give them back a bit of independence and quality of life.”
Convent occupation causes a stir
The nuns have been occupying their former convent in Goldenstein since mid-September, making headlines around the world. International media such as the BBC and CNN reported on the unusual conflict. The “nuns_goldenstein” now have almost 58,000 followers on Instagram.
At the beginning of September, the three women gained access to the building with the help of a locksmith. The castle had become the property of the Archdiocese of Salzburg and Reichersberg Abbey in 2022 – with the promise that the sisters could stay there as long as their health allowed. However, after several stays in hospital, they were transferred to a retirement home in December 2023. The nuns accuse the new owners of having removed the original stair lift.