2024-10-23 09:02:00
The 59th meeting of the Vienna City Council began today, Wednesday, at 9:02 a.m. with question time.
Question time
The subject of the first inquiry was free entry to the permanent exhibition of the new Vienna Museum. GR Georg Niedermühlbichler (SPÖ) asked City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler (SPÖ) about the balance sheet after one year. “I am pleased to be able to say that the expectations we had have been exceeded in all areas,” said Kaup-Hasler. The new Vienna Museum was implemented in difficult times within the planned time frame and within budget. There have been more than half a million visitors since it opened on December 6th. a year ago to the Vienna Museum, said the city councilor for culture. There were an average of 130,000 visitors per year in the years before the new building. This means that the number of visitors has now increased fivefold. The Vienna Museum has already become a “tourism hotspot” within Vienna. Completely new teaching formats have been developed “so that we can understand history from a contemporary perspective,” says Kaup-Hasler. The permanent exhibition was developed over seven and a half years with experts, and there is an inclusive cultural education offer: Braille, things that can be experienced tactilely, are part of the offer. The offers would be aimed not only at children and school classes, but also at “disabled communities” and an older audience. A broad audience has access, a focus is on children and young people, and a critical approach to history is an important focus of the new Vienna Museum. It is important that the Vienna Museum is also an educational institution: a wealth of formats, discussions, workshops, etc. are offered. The event hall is also used extensively. “This new cultural monument in Vienna was built sustainably. “We are an international beacon here too,” says Kaup-Hasler. There are, for example, geothermal probes for generating heat and cold as well as photovoltaic systems on the roof. The Vienna Museum also offers special offers for seniors. With the “Vienna Museum from a Distance” the focus is on people who are not so mobile. In this way, residents of the “Houses for Living” could experience their own offers. For people with a slower pace, there is the “Wien Museum decelerates” offer, a “dialogic-sensual” tour of a few selected objects that can awaken memories, for example for seniors – which is often reflected in the contributions of the Curators are involved. The international reporting on the Vienna Museum is impressive. The FAZ, for example, spoke of a “Chamber of Wonders on Karlsplatz”, and experts are looking at this museum. “Vienna has gained a very central cultural monument in the middle of the city,” says Kaup-Hasler.
The second inquiry dealt with e-scooter rental systems. Local councilor Anton Mahdalik (FPÖ) wanted to know from planning councilor Ulli Sima (SPÖ) whether what the FPÖ sees as “dangerous and in no way sustainable rental systems should be banned like in other cities?” – “I would have no problem with a general ban “, says Transport City Councilor Ulli Sima. The lawyers’ assessment was that this was not possible for reasons of freedom of service. That is why the city originally had no option to limit e-scooter rentals , “We stumbled across it everywhere” because the e-scooters were standing around. Since the concession was awarded, things have improved in that four companies have been awarded the contract. The contracts concluded with these companies mean that “ “It was agreed with the providers that scooters were not allowed to be parked on sidewalks and that they had to be parked in the special places that had been agreed upon. This will also be punished severely. A total of 50,000 administrative penalties have been imposed since June 2023. In October 2023 there were still 7,000 fines at peak times, but the number is now around 1,000 fines per month. So the situation is improving. “The penalties are having an impact,” said Sima.
Two operators left again. The reason: A contact person with an Austrian registration address is also a prerequisite for a contract. This meant that these two operators no longer existed. Now there are “two more operators who are trying harder and where there are clear regulations,” says Sima. The market is now closed. “We tried to achieve the best under the legal framework,” said the Transport City Councilor. There are also successes and complaints about e-scooters are declining. “I would say we are 80 percent of the way there by doing it strictly and consistently,” concluded Sima.
The third request from GRin Mag. Angelika Pipal-Leixner, MBA (NEOS) to City Councilor for Education Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) was omitted.
GRin Viktoria Spielmann, BA (Greens) addressed the fourth question to City Councilor Peter Hacker (SPÖ) and asked what additional funds were planned for the 2024/25 winter package – “in view of the growing number of people in precarious situations”. Last winter, around 15 million euros were spent on the winter package and 15.5 million euros were estimated for this year. “More than 1,000 additional places in emergency accommodation in winter can therefore be made available,” says City Councilor for Social Affairs Peter Hacker. The places are available at 13 locations in nine districts, operated by seven partner organizations. Last season there was around 92 percent occupancy. There are separate facilities only for homeless women – in which there is also a ban on men. This is also necessary so that there is a maximum signaling effect “and a safe space for women”. Especially when it comes to facilities for homeless women, “a great focus is necessary,” said the city councilor for social affairs. That is also part of the winter package. There are also “opportunity houses” that support young people in particular and help them on their way to independence. There are “traumatically disturbed” homeless people who sleep on the streets. In street social work you have to try to understand what is behind homelessness. In the winter months there is a separate app where you can send the address if you see a homeless person who needs help. Social workers would then go there to offer support.
The topic of the fifth inquiry was the 200th birthday of the composer Johann Strauß Sohn, which will be celebrated in 2025 and on the occasion of which numerous events will be organized in honor of the composer. GR Peter L. Eppinger (ÖVP) wanted to know from City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler (SPÖ) whether she or the MA had 7 records or documents about the economic viability of the Johann Strauss Festival Year 2025, which is now funded with a total of 22 million euros should be. In 2006, the Mozart Year had an endowment of 29.1 million euros. Today that would correspond to an endowment of 45 million euros, according to City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler. You’re halfway through the Strauss year. “An anniversary year is a very diverse and extensive undertaking,” said the city councilor for culture. It’s about “positioning the music capital of Vienna and making it shine.” Therefore, this grant is “more than urgently necessary”. A study by the Chamber of Commerce describes the music industry as an economic engine with a value creation of 7.5 billion – which is also an attractive driver for tourism. The funding would be carefully examined. Due to the crises of the last few years, personnel costs, rents and technical equipment had to be improved – otherwise the performance would only have been 75 percent, explained Kaup-Hasler. The MA7 constantly checks the information, completeness, plausibility, that there is no reason for exclusion and the financial plan. At the time of the grant, only a rough estimate could be announced, a framework from which to start. “The projects are intended to take Johann Strauss out of his roots in the educated middle class milieu and serve as an inspiration for other generations to engage with this legacy,” says Kaup-Hasler. “Everything was checked, so I am sure that every cent will be used appropriately,” says Kaup-Hasler. There will also be a final exam. There needs to be a major mediation agenda in the city so that as many connections as possible to the local art scene are created. More than 350 events are planned – 25 of which are free. There are many institutional partnerships, such as with Superar. “It is important that the whole of Vienna feels that Johann Strauss is a musical legacy that should encourage discussion,” said Kaup-Hasler. This requires a wide variety of formats, including school collaborations. The “sensual” is important. “Music is also something that can make people understandable across language boundaries: Where are we located?” explained the city councilor for culture. There is, for example, “Tricky Strauss” in the Zoom Children’s Museum, a bat run is planned – and thus a great opportunity for children to get to know the composer. There will be a Strauss Festival bus that will drive through the districts. There will be a musical homage to Strauss in the sky. The City Councilor for Culture announced that there would also be a focus on Strauss at the “We are Vienna” festival. (cont.) like
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