Becoming a Graz resident by choice at 85

“The Grätzel welcomed me and picked me up”

Winfried Bergmann at the table in Margaretenbad-Grätzel.

(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Winfried Bergmann was 85 when he came to Graz with his wife a year ago. Torn away from his beloved everyday life in Munich, it was the Margaretenbad district that caught him. The Graz resident by choice says: "The worse my wife got, the more important the Grätzel became to me."

Winfried Bergmann describes himself as a "Graz resident with a migration background". Just over a year ago, he moved here from Munich to be with his daughter - "for reasons of age", as he says. "I had many familiar neighbors in Germany, but here I only had my family for the time being," says Bergmann. What's more, his wife was getting worse physically and mentally. So he looked for a connection - and found one at the evening get-togethers in the neighborhood meeting place. The now 86-year-old says: "The Grätzel welcomed and supported me."

But how exactly do neighborhoods like this one manage to give people support? Bergmann sits at the table in the neighborhood meeting place with Claudia Beiser, chairwoman of the Grätzelinitiative Margaretenbad association. English has just been taught here, a few older women are putting on their coats and saying goodbye. "Everyone is welcome here, from university professors to housewives," says Beiser, "the idea is to bring people together, especially in difficult times."

Beiser and Bergmann talk about the founding history and intention of the Grätzelinitiative.

(Bild: Sepp Pail)

The principle: all offers can be taken advantage of free of charge and without registration. This also means that - with the exception of one employee for communication and coordination - all members work here on a voluntary basis. Literature circles, suicide talks, singing together, cooking or playing games - all on a give-and-take basis. Bergmann enjoys attending literature evenings, and his own book has already been discussed. In return, he can give something back to others with "Grätzelradio".

A neighborhood radio station as a retirement project
As a former journalist, he has plenty of knowledge that he can pass on to younger people. "When the idea of Grätzelradio came up, I immediately wanted to get involved because I used to do radio when I was younger," says Bergmann. He regularly invests many hours in contributions about "loneliness" or "resilience" - from preparation to editing. "We were even on the main program of Steirischer Herbst. Our programs are available as podcasts and on Radio Helsinki," he says proudly.

Beiser and Bergmann watering flowers. If you're looking for community or want to make a regional impact, you'll find it in neighborhood centers.

(Bild: Sepp Pail)

He recorded one of these broadcasts last summer at the Grätzelfest festival, surrounded by frolicking children and feasting adults. A festival that has gained status in the Geidorf district of Graz over the years. It is one of many examples of what is possible in the community. The 450-member strong neighborhood has its origins in an initiative for the preservation of the Margaretenbad. "Many people learned to swim there or met their husbands. They had an emotional connection to the pool and didn't want it to close," explains Beiser.

Many people learned to swim or met their husbands at the Margaretenbad. They had an emotional connection to it and didn't want it to close. This citizens' initiative later developed into the neighborhood center.

Claudia Baiser, Vereinsobfrau Grätzelinitiative Margaretenbad

It's also about something like "home", says Beiser. "Every time I open the door of the Grätzeltreff, it feels like coming home to me." The joint refugee work also ties in with this. When the war in Ukraine broke out, they organized an apartment for 13 families, German courses and much more.

Bergmann also knows the feeling of being welcomed with open arms. He made friends here, found recognition and affection. Since then, he has been coming to the corner house in Wastlergasse once or twice a week to get involved in the neighborhood. He appreciates the place and the community: "The worse things got for my wife, the more important the Grätzel became to me," says the Graz resident by choice.