"House ban" issued

SPÖ politicians are no longer allowed in the inn

Not everyone is allowed into Gasthaus Holper after the change of ownership.

(Bild: Fenz)

"No trespassing!" is the message in Ollersdorf: three SPÖ local councillors are no longer allowed in the inn that now belongs to the ÖVP mayor.

To throw a political rival out of the door or not to let them in at all - this is a wish that many a politician might feel in a moment of frustration and anger. In the municipality of Ollersdorf, ÖVP mayor Bernd Strobl has more or less made this wish come true.

End for the inn
In September of last year, the traditional Holper inn closed its doors. As is so often the case, no successor could be found for the business. This was a bitter setback for village life, as the inn next to the church was an important meeting place where theater events and balls were held.

Mayor steps in
Recently, however, the building has a new owner: Mayor Strobl bought the property as a private individual. Soon there were the first requests to use the hall for events. This was apparently not a problem, there were just a few conditions to be met - and one of them was quite a challenge: the landlord is said to have forbidden SPÖ Deputy Mayor Tanja Illedits, her husband - SPÖ local councillor Christian Illedits - and a third SPÖ member from setting foot in the inn. These three people are not even allowed to park in the parking lot in front of the inn.

"This is the most normal thing in the world"
The matter caused astonishment among the population and word even spread to the north of the country. Strobl himself doesn't want to say much about it. He points out that it is his private property. However, he makes it clear that, as the owner, it is up to him alone to decide who may or may not enter his building. "That's the most normal thing in the world." He also told the SPÖ that they should have done more to make the purchase by the municipality possible.

No loan possible
The original plan was for the municipality to purchase the property. However, the supervisory authority did not give the green light for a loan, says Strobl. That is why he bought the house himself. He wanted to prevent someone else from building something there that didn't fit in with the townscape. And what are his plans for the inn? There are currently no plans, says Strobl.

Conveniently, there is even a BAST bus stop in front of the business.

(Bild: Fenz)

"Faced with a fait accompli"
Deputy Mayor Illedits does not want to comment on the "house ban", but defends herself against the accusation that the SPÖ has not pushed hard enough for the purchase: Twice, motions to this effect had been tabled in the municipal council, the first one a year and a half ago. However, both were blocked by the ÖVP. Strobl had first raised the issue in the municipal council at the beginning of January - when the sale had already been finalized. "We were presented with a fait accompli," says Illedits.

No performance
Incidentally, one of the first people who would have liked to use the hall would have been the choral society's theater group. They refused to comment when asked. The social media presence only states that the performances will not take place. And: "We very much regret this."