Austria News

The trial against Josef Fritzl was one of the biggest in Austrian history. Fritzls hometown Amstetten is quite glad about it that the media attention declined. But one thing is still there. The house of Josef Fritzl, and the cellar of his incredible crime. It should be sold, but it’s not possible to find a [...]

Carinthias prefabricated house manufacturer Griffner Haus announces that 2010 is going to be a historical record year with sales of more than 50 million Euro. One quater of the sales should be made with industrial buildings. “The sales sonic barrier of 50 million Euro is going to fall this year”, also thinks chairman Thomas Lenzinger.
Last [...]

The Freedom party complains in a press release about a gross disadvantage in the TV coverage of Austrias Broadcasting Corporation “ORF”. Freedom parties general secretary Harald Vilimsky was talking about “agitation programs against his party” and used the turn of expression that such a behaviour of the medias “takes the biscuit.”
The upset politican explains that [...]

It was never a secret that Austrians have to pay a lot of taxes and charges. But an EU-wide comparison showed the unbelievable size of Austrias tax and charge burden. And Austrias politicans promise to increase taxes and find new types of charges.
27 countries of the European Union were included in the comparison. Austria made [...]

Yesterday Austrias Chancellor Werner Faymann declared that Mongolia is an important partner in Asia. The reason for such a statement was the visit of Mongolias premier minister Suchbaatar Batbold.
Faymann and Batbold were talking about economical and democracy political issues. Faymann said that the bilateral relations between Austria and Mongolia are brillant. There are cultural and [...]

Vorarlbergs Green politican Harald Walser was never happy with Barbara Rosenkranz being the candidate of the Freedom party for the next Federal President election. Now he even demands a cancellation of her candidateship.
Walser explains his demand with following words: “Her contradictory statements about our prohibition law are embarrassing.” The man from Austrias Western province Vorarlberg [...]

About a very polite 20-year-old bank robber from Vienna reports the website of Austrias Broadcasting Corporation. The young man entered a bank last Friday, and said to the bank employee: “I am sorry, but I have to rob that bank now. Would you please be so kind and give me all your money?”
The 20-year-old was [...]

Austrias daily newspaper “Österreich” reports about a request of Freedom party leader Heinz Christian Strache. Strache asked the intelligence service for bodyguards payed by tax money for his evening night club, disco and ball tours.
Reason: Strache was several times molested by angry nighthawks. Last time during the Jägerball (hunters ball) in the Viennese Hofburg.
Austrias intelligence [...]

The 51-year-old married mother of 10 children runs for the next election to become Austrias Federal President. She is the candidate of the Freedom party, against the acting president of the Socialdemocrats Heinz Fischer.
Barbara Rosenkranz is also supported by Austrias biggest newspaper Kronen Zeitung. All other daily newspapers are not that excited about her. Austrias [...]

A representative study of the magazine “Reader’s Digest” revealed the question whom Austrians trust. Politics and economy received the worst poll ratings. Also the government, the church, and the European Union had very bad ratings.
The best result had the police with a trust of 78 percent of all interviewees. Environmentalist are also quite popular im [...]

Austrias biggest daily newspaper “Kronen Zeitung” reports about a quaint inheritage.
A 55-year-old nun from Scotland inherits the brothel of her 75-year-old mother located in Austrias province Styria. An extremely profitable inheritage, because the business is going very well, reports the newspaper.
The 75-year-old bordello queen was a famous circus performer in her girlhood. Besides the [...]

The minister president of Carinthia is not satisfied with his salary. In the Friday issue of Austrias biggest newspaper “Kronen Zeitung” he is quoted as saying that he earns less than a floor tiler. An hourly wage of 16 Euro is not enough for a minister president, he thinks.
Cartinthias opposition parties can’t agree in such [...]

According to a new survey among Carinthians and None-Carinthians the image of Austrias southern federal state Carinthia is badly damaged. Carinthians know about their loss of image and do not try to suppress it.
There are enough reasons to explain this sad result. There was the Hypo bank scandal. The political quarrels and the secession of [...]

A 38-year-old Viennese doctor was caught when he tried to burgle the flat of his patient who had to stay in hospital. He was found by th son of the patient when he was searching the house for valuable articles. This might explain the mysterious spate of burglaries. Many patients became the victim of a [...]

Since last weekend the famous Viennese museum Secession was turned into a swinger club by an artist from Switzerland. Peoples party and Freedom party are not so exicted about that. The Swiss man wants to show “real states of our society” by his campaign.
Teenagers under 18 years are not allowed to enter the place during [...]

Yesterday the referendum about the erection of the controversial asylum seekers hostel in the Burgenland village of Eberau took place. The result was crystal clear. More than 90 percent of the inhabitants are against asylum seekers in their village.
The mayor of Eberau (Peoples party) confirmed the result yesterday at 10:30pm. 801 valid votes were counted. [...]

A couple of Belgian skiers were arrested on the ski slope in Tirols holiday destination Wildschönau, because they started a fight with native ski lift servants. One of the servants was badly injured with a ski shoe kick in his face.
Two helicopters had to come to the spot of violence. One to bring the injured [...]

Thermal springs in Austria are overcrowded and noisy. This is usually a good sign for full tills and good turnovers. But a new study predicts a sudden end of Austrias thermal spring boom.
The main base of the conclusion: thermal springs are nothing exciting or special anymore. The market is saturated, and it’s not possible to [...]

Austrian communists are annoyed about the slot machine market in Austria. Now they demand a ban of the banknote entry in those machines. The anger of the communists is also directed to Socialdemocrats and Peoples party. “They stand on their brakes when it comes to prohibitions”, explains a spokesman of the communists.
The Communist party of [...]

A 24-year-old man from the province of Vorarlberg was sentenced to a 480 fine because he has touched a policeman. The contact happened when the police led off his girlfriend. His protective instinct was awaked, he explaind in court.
But it was only a touch, no beat or attack. Nonetheless touching a policeman is not alllowed [...]

Viennas political parties argue about the 25 percent polling of the Socialdemocrat organized public opinion poll. The opposition parties sneer about a very small polling and talk about a “rout for the Socialdemocrats”. But the Socialdemocrats themselfes triumph and think that a polling of 25 percent is an unbelievable success.
Viennas provincial party secretary of the [...]

A betting cafe in the Lower Austrian town of Amstetten enrages the flared tempers of the Green party. Already since several weeks the Greens moan and wail about its existence.
The bizarre thing about the whole case is the fact that the betting cafe is closed since last month.
The district commission of Amstetten confirms that. Also [...]

The discussions about the new asylum plans of the government turns out to be an emotional conflict between the social democratic chancellor Werner Faymann and the Interior Minister of the Peoples party Maria Fekter.
Faymann thinks that a “general imprisonment” of all asylum seekers makes no sense to him. “The Socialdemocrats won’t agree in such a [...]

Very hungry were some tourists from Romania in the Eastern part of Austrias province of Upper Austria. They have stolen 49 chocolate bars and two cans of tuna fish, and were caught by a supermarket employee who called the police. The tourists were able to escape out of the supermarket and jumped in their bus.
But [...]

Austrias most eastern province of Burgenland is the home of Austrias most eager blood donors. Every year the people from Burgenland give more than 10.000 litre blood. 5 percent of all Burgenlanders are regular blood donors.
Austrias Red Cross tries to get blood donors with slogans like “Give blood, save lifes”, or “If you want to [...]

The Lower Austrian district of Gänserndorf was the scene of a tragical incident. A 79 year-old woman was killed by her two rottweilers. The rottweilers were on duty as watch dogs.
The reason for the deadly attack is not clear. There was only one single incident in 2006. Usually the two dogs were quite calm and [...]

Viennas bio enterprise Apeiron receives 200 million Euro from the British pharmaceutical giant Milestone. The reason for such a money rain is an agreement about a partnership between both enterprises.
The female vice mayor, finance, as well as economy councilwoman of Vienna, Renate Brauner, was the first one who sent her congratulations for that success. Viennas [...]

Austrias Broadcasting Corporation ORF reports a 56-year-old poet from Vienna who is accused of smirching slabs in the Viennese Museumsquartier, which is known as the eighth largest cultural area in the world. The trial is going to start on the 18th February. A twelve months imprisonment could be possible.
The passionate poet spreads his works on [...]

Austrian rail riders should never be in a hurry. Last year every third long-distance train arrived delayed. The reason of such a disastrous result is the high amount of construction zones.
The situation debases from year to year. In 2008 more trains arrived punctual. 2009 had an increase of 10 percent more delayed long-distance trains. A [...]

In an interview with a daily newspaper, the controversial Austrian pastor who also enjoys to watch football matches, declared that “Voodoo worship in Haiti is interesting.” Literally he said that “it’s interesting that there are 90 percent of Voodoo followers in Haiti.”
The pastor who was designated to be the next auxiliary bishop of Linz, had [...]