CATFISH. As a 14-year-old schoolboy at the time, I still have vivid memories of 1986 because it was the first time we felt the consequences of the devastating Chernobyl reactor accident. It was then that I became convinced that nuclear energy cannot be a technology of the future.
The Berlin Wall came down three years later. A wave of enthusiasm gripped us students at the time, combined with the certainty that history will be made this year. The fall of the wall was celebrated among us students as the victory of democracy and freedom of expression over communism.
The next decisive experience for me after Austria joined the EU was the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. This attack, which killed thousands of people, confirmed my rejection of all political and religious extremism. That year I also became a councilor for the city of Wels. Of course, my marriage and the birth of my first son Maximilian in 2005 were also significant for me. Own children change our view of the world. It’s about making life, society and the environment sustainable in order to leave our children with a legacy that is worth living in.
After years of self-employment as a lawyer, another milestone in my life was winning the mayoral election. The office of mayor fundamentally changed not only my job, but also my daily routine. From then on, five to six evening events a week were the norm.
In 2017 and 2020 the family became complete with the births of my daughter Anna and my son Peter.
The course will be set in Wels again in 2021. This year will therefore also be a fateful year.
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