On May 15 at 9:10 p.m. on ORF 2
Vienna (OTS) – Christoph Feurstein presents the following articles in “Thema” on Monday, May 15, 2023 at 9:10 p.m. on ORF 2:
The underestimated danger – firearms in Austria
In Pielach in Lower Austria, a man shoots his mother’s partner. The neighbor who is said to have given the alleged perpetrator the gun took his own life a few days later. In Straden in Styria, a pensioner fires a shotgun at his neighbor and her friend. The women survive badly injured. Günther Bubendorfer becomes a lifesaver. In the “Theme” interview, he describes the events: “At that moment, I didn’t even understand how dangerous the situation was. All I knew was that I had to help immediately, otherwise the woman would die.” The pensioner legally owned the shotgun that he used to shoot. Firearms are quite easy to obtain in Austria, much easier than in other countries. Gerhard Janser and Fred Lindner did research for “Thema”.
Hitler House Braunau – what now?
Tear off, says one in four of a corresponding survey. The Republic of Austria, which owns Hitler’s birthplace, wants to house the police there. The citizens of Braunau criticized this, but also historians and descendants of Jewish victims, some with sharp words. They wish for a more careful reuse of the historic site. Hitler himself is said to have been rather embarrassed by his provincial origins. Sonja Hochecker on a house that no one really wants and that is indelibly linked to Austria’s history.
Loneliness and how to escape it
“It’s hard for anyone who gets up in the morning and says, oh God, there are still so many hours until bedtime,” says widower Fritz Held. Pensioner Maria Evelyn Muthenthaller says: “If you’re lonely, it’s at the moment and that’s exactly when you would need someone.” 23 percent of those surveyed in a Caritas study say they feel lonelier today than during the pandemic. Countermeasures such as “Plauderbankerl” or “Plaudernetz” help. “More needs to be done,” says Klaus Schwertner, Director of Caritas Vienna. During the pandemic, exit restrictions and contact bans caused a lot of problems for many people. “It’s desolate. I can no longer do things that I have always enjoyed doing,” said Fritz Held at the time. For “Thema”, Oliver Rubenthaler asked how he and others are doing today and spoke to experts.
