"Do everything alone"

Lugner opens doors: A visit to the “little bee’s nest”

Simone now only lives in the spacious villa with her animal companions.(Bild: Andreas Tischler / Vienna Press)

Widow Simone Lugner still lives in the house she moved into after her engagement to Richard Lugner. While he is no longer there, she is determined to stay and once again opens her doors to us around All Saints' Day.

She has now been alone in this house for two months, two weeks and six days, making her a widow for longer than she was Richard Lugner's wife.

"Mörtel" once bought the villa in the 19th district for himself, his then wife Christina "Mausi" and daughter Jaqueline - Simone, his last and sixth wife, retained the lifelong right of residence after she moved in and the master builder died. Presumably at least: "That's what Richard told me, I haven't seen the land register entry yet," she explains.

Simone visits her late husband's grave twice a week. "Richard, if love could have saved you, you would have lived forever," reads the slate heart on his grave. Next to it is a photo of the two of them.(Bild: Andreas Tischler)

She doesn't think it's too big. "Sure, there would be room for a family here, I don't use the cellar either, for example, but it's not too big for me," says Simone in the interview. At the moment, the former Lugner City employee takes care of everything on her own, with her retired mother only helping out sometimes.

Let's see what the future holds
"The garden also has to be winterized, I wouldn't even be able to do it all on my own if I worked full-time. But if I can afford it, it would be nice if a gardener could help once a week in the future ..."

The house is large, but "affordable", as Simone says.(Bild: Andreas Tischler)

The woman is herself ...(Bild: Andreas Tischler)

... and thanks to her five "girls" (two dogs and three cats) she doesn't feel lonely.(Bild: Andreas Tischler)

Only time will tell whether that's the case inside. She doesn't want to look for another job until she knows how many fixed costs she will have to pay if the 42-year-old is allowed to stay at home. "In the meantime, I'm still okay, but it's not like I get paid for the events I appear at - even if that's what most people want to believe ..."