Committed community

A rousing celebration for all “people of the heart”

Folk musician Marc Pircher brought the atmosphere in the marquee to boiling point.

(Bild: Imre Antal)

"What one person can't do alone, we can do together," is how Sabine Hopf, Mayor of Leitzersdorf, sums it up. On Sunday, the "Krone- Herzensmensch-Fest" took place in the Weinviertel municipality with a great atmosphere.

The municipality of Leitzersdorf in the district of Korneuburg, with a population of just under 1180, was the venue for this year's big "Krone Heart People Festival". And despite hot temperatures above 30 degrees, a Formula One race and the European Football Championship, the party went on for all it was worth.

And for good reason: Leitzersdorf was voted the most club-friendly municipality. With 26 clubs and a large number of committed people, the Weinviertel town was able to take home the title. "Everyone is really proud and delighted about the award," says Hopf.

The idea behind the campaign: "To bring people in front of the curtain who are not normally in the limelight," explains "Krone NÖ" editorial manager Lukas Lusetzky. Lower Austria is a land of volunteers, but "volunteering is not something that can be taken for granted", says Martin Lammerhuber, Managing Director of Kulturregion NÖ, thanking all volunteers.

Honors for volunteers
In addition to the municipality of Leitzersdorf, Viktoria Faber and Gerhard Zwinz were also honored as "Krone Heart People". "Sometimes you have to take people by the hand to get them involved," said firefighter and paramedic Zwinz. He himself completed 1,200 hours in the rescue service alone last year. "People of heart are people who go above and beyond the call of duty and stand up for others," said Christian Gepp, Member of Parliament and Mayor of Korneuburg. "Krone" animal rights activist Maggie Entenfellner also agreed.

People of heart are people who go above and beyond the call of duty and stand up for others.

Landtagsabgeordneter und Korneuburgs Bürgermeister Christian Gepp

After the official ceremony, which was hosted by Jana Pasching, it was time to celebrate: visitors were fired up by pop star Marc Pircher - who got the marquee shaking - followed by "Die Wilden Kaiser". Last year's winner Alexander Schneller from Circus Pikard wowed the crowd with a juggling act. The dance performance by the group "Bunt gemischt", which came second in last year's "Herzensmensch" club competition, also received loud applause. Local heroes "Die Wilden Kaiser" brought the day to a close with their music, creating an exuberant atmosphere among the visitors. The motto of the day was clear: "We will party until we can't anymore," said the head of the village.