"Krone" commentary

What do you (not) see in this photo?

(Bild: Reinhard Holl)

What do you see in this photo? Or let's put it another way: What don't you see in this photo?

I can tell you: You don't see any bollards against trucks that could otherwise plow their way through the crowd. You don't see any concrete blocks at the entrances and no police armed to the teeth with their assault rifles at the ready.

You see carefree people, festively lit stalls and Christmas decorations dangling in the wind.

You are looking at an archive photo of the Christmas market on Rathausplatz from 2011 - long before the terror hit the country.

It must have been around this time, maybe a year earlier or later: I was standing with a friend at the mulled wine stand, at the entrance on the corner of Lichtenfelsgasse, and the biggest danger of the evening was the turbo punch. I bought glass Santas for my loved ones, filled with liqueur that was so sweet that most of them had to empty it. And a new star for the Christmas tree. I wore a flashing Christmas hood, which was especially funny for children - and tourists from Asia. Many of them took photos, and the idea that one of them still hangs on an I-love-Vienna magnet on an ice box somewhere in Chengdu amuses me.

Christmas used to be like this. Contemplative, safe, fun, without a queasy feeling, without fear of terror. Anyone who remembers this has been a witness since 2016.

What a sad thought.