Franz Huber became "Mister Maidult" in 40 years

2023-05-17 00:35:00

The Vöcklabrucker Maidult will take place for the 60th time this coming long weekend. Franz Huber has been organizing the traditional event in the leisure area for 40 years. The former head of the city’s cultural department knows all the exhibitors and many regular guests of the Dult as “Mister Maidult”. “I’m happiest when a lot of people come and there are happy faces at the end,” says Huber.

Today at eleven o’clock the city will pick the event. The name Franz Huber stands for the fact that everything fits. In 1979 he started working for the municipality, and the following year he was entrusted with organizing his first Vöcklabruck Maidult.

The Vöcklabrucker Fest was founded in 1958, among others by the Schwertberg showman Heinrich Straßmeier and by long-time festival host Fritz Hofstetter, as part of the 600th anniversary of the city on the former Huemer grounds (today’s Lebenshaus). This then developed into the Maidult, which took place for the first time under this name in 1963 at the Wagrain Bridge. The Vöcklabruck tourism association took over this festival and after the construction of the pioneer bridge over the Vöckla in 1968, it was able to move to the large festival area by the indoor pool. Since then, around 20,000 visitors have made the pilgrimage to the Maidult over the five days of the festival, which this year, by the way, is again being organized by the Hausruckwald Tourist Association.

“A lot has changed,” Franz Huber looks back on his 40 Maidult years. The former festival committee dissolved years ago, and there hasn’t been a large beer tent for a long time. In the 60 years there have been seven different landlords. This year Hannes Traunbauer and his team at the “Christl Alm” will take care of your physical well-being. “We don’t have any alcohol excesses,” emphasizes organizer Franz Huber, “it’s a very peaceful festival.”

Heinrich Straßmeier, now the third generation of the Straßmeiers, is responsible for the amusement park with rides for all age groups. “The Autodrom is there every year,” says Huber. What is new this year is that the cars can also drift. “We drive electric cars long before the Greens existed,” Heinrich Straßmeier interjects with a grin. “After the Corona break, people are hot that there is something again,” reports the Schwertberg showman that people would like to spend money on shooting galleries, ghost trains or autodromes again.

The 60th Maidult will open at 3 p.m. today, but the opening fireworks planned for 10 p.m. will probably be postponed to Friday due to the weather.

On Thursday and Sunday there is an open-air morning pint (11 a.m.), on Friday the children and family afternoon from 1 p.m. with reduced prices will lure you to the Dult.