"Without a word"

Lugner cartoonist beaten up in front of bar

The Lower Austrian artist Reini Buchacher

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Christof Birbaumer, Claudia Reisinger)

The Lower Austrian artist Reini Buchacher was beaten up outside a bar in Mödling on Friday night. The 69-year-old is known for his Lugner caricatures, among other things.

"I was outside the bar having a coffee when a man started insulting the guests. He called me a depatten Kritzler", Reini Buchacher told the "Kurier" newspaper. He then asked the stranger to stop the insults.

But the opposite happened and the situation escalated. "Without saying a word, he hit me on my right temple with his fist. I hit the back of my head on the asphalt with full force," said the artist. He now has a large bump on his head.

Act of revenge?
The motive for the attack is unclear. "Perhaps it was an act of revenge for a successful caricature." The police are looking for a man around 1.90 meters tall. The incident took place in front of the caricature bar in Mödling, Lower Austria.

Here you can see a caricature of the artist.

Buchacher is a world record holder in speed caricaturing and is known for his caricatures of Richard Lugner and Lugner City, among other things. "One day, Richard Lugner, who I often caricatured in the newspaper, called me personally," he recalled. The businessman then asked him if he would like to do something for Lugner City.