On April 18th at 9:05 p.m. on ORF 2
Vienna (OTS) – The Viennese markets have always been a reflection of social change. To this day they are a sought-after place of work for numerous New Austrians and at the same time the most important transshipment point for their goods. For the “Am Schauplatz” report “Am Markt” – shown on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 9:05 p.m. on ORF 2 – Ed Moschitz was out and about in Vienna and observed the diverse hustle and bustle between vegetable stands and kebab stands for months.
Ms. Rosa has lived near Vienna’s Brunnenmarkt since the 1970s. When she moved here, the market drivers were still predominantly Austrian. But because they often couldn’t find a successor, the stands were usually given to immigrants. Today people from 46 countries work at Vienna’s longest street market. This is also why the 87-year-old wanted to move away from the market area. But she couldn’t find a cheap, spacious apartment anywhere that offered enough space for her teddy bear collection. She stayed for the sake of her 200 stuffed bears.
Mr. Philipp, a Burgenlander, “lost his way” on the market, as he says. However, the colorful hustle and bustle here is a welcome distraction from the stressful inheritance disputes that are currently raging in his family. His mother recently died. “I’m entitled to 200,000 euros, but I want a million,” he says aggressively. This is intended to bring a special Porsche model from Germany.
Ms. Anna, 69, runs a small “Tschocherl” in the market hall. In the past she could have made a good living from it, but now her regular customers are increasingly turning away. “They have 1,500 euros and pay 800 euros in rent, so they have nothing left,” she calculates. When the mood in the restaurant threatens to change towards the end of the month, she likes to sing love songs for her guests. She used to be a professional singer in Poland and even sang her songs for the Pope in Rome.
What bothers some people at the Viktor Adler Market is that there are fewer and fewer Austrian stallholders at the farmers’ market. Hardly any Austrians are still willing to put up with the daily task of setting up and dismantling the stands, whatever the weather. Ms. Manuela has been doing this backbreaking job since she was a teenager, partly because she has no other professional training. Her daughter should have it better, she has a high school diploma and is already working in the construction industry. Only recently did she have to haggle again with the market office for her “fixed stand”. With success, but Ms. Manuela’s frustration runs deep: “Until I retire and the deluge is behind me,” she says. The fact that there was recently a physical argument between some market drivers at the farmers’ market caused anger to rise again.