Local inspection
Hannes Androsch and his traces in Ausseerland
Hannes Androsch was more than just a summer visitor to Ausseerland: he was a source of inspiration and a fatherly friend who was repeatedly criticized. A visit to the foot of the Loser.
The snow is dazzling in the sun. A few skiers trudge towards the new valley station of the Loser cable car in Altaussee. Hardly anyone notices the slim black flag waving between the valley stations, one day after Hannes Androsch's death.
"I met him in Bad Ischl on Saturday," says Rudolf Huber, Managing Director of the cable car. "A little tired, but mentally brilliant, as always", he was there. Nobody had expected him to die so quickly, despite the pneumonia from which Androsch had only just recovered. At the age of 86, the former Vice-Chancellor passed away in the middle of his life. Who can say that?
From holidaymaker to Ring of Honor winner
Androsch has left his mark on Altaussee that will last for generations. "At the age of seven," says cable car boss Huber, "he went up the Loser for the first time." As a boy on vacation with his parents. Blocked for years by opponents, Androsch was able to open his Loser gondola on October 25, 2024. "This lift was a project close to his heart." Androsch also owned the luxury health hotel Vivamayr directly on Lake Altaussee, which is now run by his daughter, and had a stake in the salt works - hence his nickname "salt baron". A rich man, but always frugal. "A pair of sausages was enough for him," says Huber.
He was closely associated with the fire department
Christian Fischer and Werner Fischer were closely associated with him. Androsch was an honorary member of the fire department - which also runs the beer tent at the Aussee Kirtag. "The first and only one," they both say.
Werner Fischer remembers. "I was 14 years old when he invited us boys on a day off from school. We were in parliament, at Voestalpine, at Vienna Airport." Androsch even gave the young men a rhetoric course.
In Altaussee, Androsch debated at the regulars' table ("He always allowed other opinions"), rowed across the lake on a flatboat, bought a stack of newspapers at the tobacconist's, played tennis, came to the brass band's Easter concert. At the Kirtag, he sat inconspicuously with the firemen and entertained the political celebrities.
What he said was not always popular, but he stood by it.
Michaela Grubesa, SPÖ-Landtagsabgeordnete aus Bad Aussee
Bild: Jauschowetz Christian
Social democrat with a feel for others
The "Krone" newspaper dubbed Androsch the "last great social democrat" on Thursday. "There are many greats, but he was a special one," says Michaela Grubesa, a party comrade from Bad Aussee. "When I entered parliament in 2015, he asked for my number and met me for a coffee," she recalls. Even after his active political time, Androsch was "interested in exchanging ideas", says Grubesa, and kept in touch.
What did the people of Ausseerland give him in return? "Love," says Grubesa, "and respect."
Hannes Androsch was a great supporter, we are all affected. Party affiliation never stood between us. It was about Altaussee.
Bürgermeister Gerald Loitzl (ÖVP)
Androsch covered 60,000 kilometers a year with his two chauffeurs, between Vienna, Altaussee, Leoben and many other places, in Austria and internationally. He always spent his summers with his family in Altaussee - so often that he was almost no longer perceived as a newcomer.
There is a small table in the foyer of the municipal office, with a party and a lit candle on it. The local council still has to discuss how the ring of honor recipient will be commemorated here. First, the family says farewell to Hannes Androsch in the closest circle. The traces he left behind will remain.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
Kommentare
Liebe Leserin, lieber Leser,
die Kommentarfunktion steht Ihnen ab 6 Uhr wieder wie gewohnt zur Verfügung.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
das krone.at-Team
User-Beiträge geben nicht notwendigerweise die Meinung des Betreibers/der Redaktion bzw. von Krone Multimedia (KMM) wieder. In diesem Sinne distanziert sich die Redaktion/der Betreiber von den Inhalten in diesem Diskussionsforum. KMM behält sich insbesondere vor, gegen geltendes Recht verstoßende, den guten Sitten oder der Netiquette widersprechende bzw. dem Ansehen von KMM zuwiderlaufende Beiträge zu löschen, diesbezüglichen Schadenersatz gegenüber dem betreffenden User geltend zu machen, die Nutzer-Daten zu Zwecken der Rechtsverfolgung zu verwenden und strafrechtlich relevante Beiträge zur Anzeige zu bringen (siehe auch AGB). Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.