The Happier the Hotelier, The Happier the Guest
The second post in a series I started yesterday: Photo of the Day. The idea is to publish more of my photos, albeit fresh albeit from my huge digital archive. This photo dates from 2014 when I skied few days in Grossarl, a little town in Austria where they had a statue of a Horse and a statue of a Cow on the roof of the restaurant next to the mountain station of the cable car that brings you from Grossarl to the ski region above it.
https://youtu.be/cgv28Q3ThKw
I’m posting this for various reasons today:
I’ll start with a Google translation from German into English of this site: Vienna History Wiki – Ankerbrotfabrik
Anker bread factory ( 10 , Absberggasse 35). The Viennese brothers Heinrich and Fritz Mendl, who worked in Döbling as “Commissionswarenhändler”, acquired the bankrupt company of the favorite baker Emanuel Adler ( Himberger Straße 49 10 , Keplerplatz 12]), founded on July 1, 1891 the Viennese bread – and biscuit factory Heinrich & Fritz Mendl and chose to their trademarks the anchor (symbol of the trust and the security, 1893 protected as a trademark) .On November 5, 1892, the operation was substantially expanded (36 -meter-long oven with ten ovens) and finally, moved to its present location on June 7, 1893. Around 1900, architect Friedrich Schön built the first part of the present complex with master builder Karl Michner & Josef Herzberg, which was continually expanded until 1925. In 1906, the company name was changed to “Anker”. The company soon enjoyed great popularity with its products and in 1914 employed nearly 1,300 people. In 1918, the workforce formed a “workers’ army” to protect the factory, and in 1922 it was converted into a family working group (Fritz Mendl, president until his death in 1929), producing pasta in 1931. In the 1930s Advertising slogan “What does the Viennese look forward to when they come from their holidays? On high spring water and anchor bread” they are well known. In 1938 the business was aryanized, in 1939 a strike was called against the equalization of payroll tax on the higher German tax, which was terminated by the Gestapo; During the Second World War , various resistance groups formed in the Ankerbrotfabrik ( memorial plaque in the courtyard). After reconstruction, the factory began innovating marketing in the 1950s, paying attention to public health issues as well (inclusion of seed bread and wholegrain bread in the production range). The share capital was held until 1969 by the Mendlschen heirs, 1969-1981 of the Schoeller group. The stagnation that has been recognizable since the mid-1960s led to the merger in 1970 with the second largest Viennese bread factory, also owned by Schoeller’s industrial group, the Hammerbrotwerke (parent company in the 21st district), the “Vereinigte Nahrungsmittel Industrie Arbeitsgemeinschaft”, which, however, did not bring any fundamental improvement In the 1970s, the number of staff was reduced from around 3,000 to around 1,900, and the Floridsdorfer company was closed down.In 1981, the owners decided to sell to the former Supervisory Board member Dr. Helmut Schuster, who founded a GmbH with his brother Gerhard and innovate in the In 1984, the old name of the company (Anker-Arbeitsgemeinschaft) was reactivated, but the design of the symbol was changed in 1985. In 1987, the company received the Austrian Marketing Prize, and by the end of 1990 there were 270 branches, which gradually received a modern design n; it employed about 300 bakers and 250 breadwomen in delivery. The new corporate concept led to a recognizable upswing of the long-established company.
Actually my idea was to show some interior details of the restaurant in the Bread Factory….It has its own website as Magdas Kantine and as part of the Bread Factory
The fun part is that they used a couple of old panelled doors both to separate seating possibilities but also as a background to benches in another corner.
The Anker Bread factory is worth a visit apart from the canteen as it has several modern art venues in the complex.
Recently, in the Austrian paper Der Standard, a small article drew my attention. A young (age 35) Mayor, Bernd Huber in function in his third term already, admits being unable to curb a complete economic slide down of this little valley in the Western part of Austria in the neighborhood of the Lechtal and various interesting towns in the Austrian Alps.
“I’m not someone who gives up something easily unless it’s really dead.” Also the place, of which he has held office since 2004, the municipality Pfafflar in Bschlabertal in Tirol, everything is extraordinary. 112 inhabitants include three hamlets, Bschlabs, Pafflar and Boden, scattered in the valley north of Imst. Still, because the migration is unstoppable. As Huber was elected at age 23 the youngest mayor in Austria, his drive was great. He wanted to stop the slow death of his hometown – with a broadband Internet offensive and the initiative “My Pfafflar”, designed the future vision for the remote spot.
“Small towns are at the mercy of cities”But the euphoria is gone. “I have learned in my first two terms of office, what works and especially what doesn’t work.” The community supervision has made clear to him very quickly, “what my job is and what is not.” As head of a small community, he is facing conurbations clear disadvantage: “We are increasingly at the mercy of the cities because there are more people live, it is decided there..”
Nevertheless Huber ran for a third term. As – again – the only candidate. “It was hard even to create an election list.” Party lines lapsed at 87 electors. “I have green and blue in my team.” In the local elections in the spring of 2016 he was able to record 53 votes. “Would my people do not want, they also can vote an invalid vote. There were only eight invalid votes,” he feels confirmed in office. With over 70 per cent voter turnout was surprisingly high despite the lack of choice options. In comparison, the presidential election only half the Pfafflarer strode to the polls. More than 80 percent voted in the runoff for Alexander Van der Bellen.
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In his third term Huber relies on tourism. “I have inherited a cottage, renovated and rent it.” he was ridiculed for it in the beginning, he now can save themselves from inquiries hardly: “I am 48 weekends booked up a year.” Many inhabitants have a hut, and they now want Huber to rent them out for them. Instead, he has established a specialized company.Recreation seekers he wants to attract: “We do not have much here, but we have the rest.” Although currently are just 40 beds available, “but an acquaintance has built just two chalets for rent.” Investments are rare in Pfafflar. This potential would exist for beds, are but 60 of the 100 houses in the village empty. And the potential guests, the mayor already found: “In southern Germany live 25 million people.” This will attract the Bschlabertal Huber. For still alive Pfafflar. (Steffen Arora, 08/30/2016)
Earlier in 2011 in another Austrian paper: Der Zeit the Title is…
As a Valley Dies
I believe there is a possibility to be a bit(?) no, much more optimistic about your valley as a Mayor and will try to get a bit of momentum for him and his fellow valley people here.
Ideally I will visit it in the not too distant future, having some idea’s I would like to share with the Mayor.
In addition I will add bits and pieces to this post if and when I find them.
With Maria in the Snow the church in Bschlabs, one of the communities of Pfafflar, is an eycatcher already in itzelf.
The church was built in 1639 as a chapel and consecrated in 1648 by the auxiliary bishop of Brixen.
Before the construction of the church, the dead had to be taken tor Dormitz (in Nassereith) and later were taken to Imst and buried there.
1670 was the first chaplain, Nicholas Kranebitter, in this valley, was for 40 years a priest in Bschlabs and was buried beneath the altar.
The records of the oldest Taufbuches in the parish, starting with the 31.10.1670.The church has been enlarged in the early 18th century. The tower was built from 1770 to 1780, with an octagonal floor and onion dome. 1857 they built a sacristy to.
Two years later, the high altar was built. In the middle, instead of a painting, the figure of grace Madonna and Child; in addition to the double row of columns, the figures of the apostles, left Paul, right Peter, including James and John (from the workshop of Josef widower Imst in 1770). High Tabernakelvorbau with columns position and Rundtempelbau; in the round niches statuettes: the left of the Barbara and Ignatius, the right of John Nepomuk and Katharina (from Josef Anton racing).
The side altars: Building 1884 left side altar with guardian angel painting, on the right side altar painting St. Joseph with Jesus, both sides with putti (widower Werkstätte)..
The pulpit: mid 19th century, with monogram of Jesus and Mary and symbols of divine virtues, St. Eucharist, law panels with sword and palm branch.
The cross above the vestry entrance is from Balthasar Jais from Imst (1740).
In the glass display cases: left, Madonna clothed with Child, 18th century; right, Lady with blue star mantle (this statue was carried along in the processions).
The stained glass of the top and bottom semicircular closed church window, are from the Tyrolean Stained Glass Innsbruck (1919) and represent the Annunciation, Visitation and Nativity represents.
The parapet organ by Josef Schreieck (1927) with parts from the 18/19. Century.
The people’s altar, with picture of the Last Supper, is by Gottlieb Praxmarer from Häselgehr.There are two old frescoes (Crucifixion and St. Christopher), which were discovered during the renovation of the church on the outer facade of the church.
The renovated sanctuary was re-consecrated in 1985 by Bishop Dr. Paul Rusch.
Source: Pfafflar site
The Bayern Television made a nice documentary about the valley. The mayor should mention it and the municipality should refer to it on its site…
I’ve created an English Wiki about Bschlabs and am just waiting to see what the Wiki Nazies will do about this post…
Hotel Klug has a 9.5 on Booking. so the hotel is a diamond in itself. Not many hotels are able to maintain such a high guest rating. It is a pearl the Mayor should care a lot about…..
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Stay tuned for more
I’ve visited two stork villages in Austria this summer. Before introducing them to you here, a documentary about their treks to and from Africa. They ave an Eastern and a western route. Also storks are part of the cote of arms of the city of The Hague, the place where I live.