More confidants

Next bombshell expected in the LIVA affair

The image of the Linz Brucknerhaus has been tarnished by the LIVA affair

(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger © Daniel Scharinger)

The LIVA affair is far from over: Dietmar Kerschbaum himself is now said to have commissioned a law firm to reconstruct the chats. "Investigator" Meinhard Lukas brings new facets to light. Meanwhile, the rumor mill is churning with more confidants. And: there could be an artistic director in the next few days - temporarily!

The Linz event company LIVA - and therefore also the Brucknerhaus - has finally been without leadership since yesterday: Dietmar Kerschbaum, the artistic director, was dismissed in July, and yesterday it was announced that following the release of the commercial director René Esterbauer, the employment relationship will now be terminated (by mutual agreement) on May 31, 2025, as we already reported.

Esterbauer was not the only one who knew about chats
His "mishandling" of the chats led to his termination of employment. But how did he find out about the chats? 

Today, the Supervisory Board of LIVA held an extraordinary meeting, which was also attended by Managing Deputy Mayor Dietmar Prammer as the owner's representative. The meeting reconstructed how the chat history in question emerged in July.

Law firm in the background
On July 16, LIVA was contacted by telephone by a law firm that worked for LIVA until mid-March 2024. The law firm asked whether LIVA still had access to the LIVA email address of Kerschbaum, who had already been dismissed at the time.

Chats were reconstructed
After the phone call, a check showed that the LIVA email address was indeed still accessible. The message in question from the law firm also came to light. This message contained the chat messages between Luger and Kerschbaum as an attachment. Apparently, the law firm had them reconstructed on Kerschbaum's cell phone on his behalf.

No instructions from Luger
A printout of this message from the law firm (including an attachment with the chats) was given to René Esterbauer internally at LIVA on July 16, 2024 in his function as managing director. He then contacted the mayor at the time, Klaus Luger, by telephone. According to René Esterbauer's account, he did not receive any instructions from Luger in this regard.

However, as far as can be seen, Esterbauer did not subsequently take any steps to clarify the matter as managing director. These are the latest details that the new Chairman of the LIVA Supervisory Board, Meinhard Lukas, who is investigating the case, can report. However, his investigations will continue.

New artistic direction quickly - temporarily
The two managing director positions are to be advertised internationally this year if possible. A committee of the Supervisory Board is working intensively on a recommendation for the process. The managing directors will not be selected until after the mayoral election.

A solution for the interim artistic director could be found in the next few days.

Rumors about chat confidants
In the meantime, the rumor mill is churning over further chat confidants, including a top magistrate. Dietmar Prammer (SPÖ), the acting deputy mayor and current LIVA owner representative, explains that according to Esterbauer, the person in question is said to have been informed about the receipt of the email, but not about its specific content. In addition, the person had no function in the LIVA and therefore could not be prosecuted. He sees this above all as "electioneering on the backs of the employees".

After all, there is the mayoral election in Linz on 12 January. "All we are trying to do is to finally bring the LIVA and the Brucknerhaus into calmer waters with the correct handling of the case!"

Many are wondering: will there be another Klangwolke next year?

(Bild: Einöder Horst/Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

Handshakes and control committee
The reactions of the other parties were not long in coming. VP municipal councillor and control committee member Michael Obrovsky criticized the "golden handshake with a duty of confidentiality" for Esterbauer. He also demanded: "In the next control committee, the head of the municipal council must answer questions."

Michael Svoboda, Green municipal councillor and member of the LIVA supervisory board, also agrees. For FP city councillor Michael Raml, some things could be clarified, but: "Overall, there is an unacceptable moral picture of political unculture that continues to demand comprehensive clarification."