150 years of the Mattersburg Fire Department: Honors for deserving heroes!

150 years of the Mattersburg Fire Department: Honors for deserving heroes!

On September 21, 2025, the time had come: the Mattersburg Volunteer Fire Department celebrated its 150th anniversary with a ceremony that was all about tradition and honor. Numerous fire department members were honored for their tireless efforts, including OBI Martin Breitsching and OBI Helmut Rath from the Wiener Neustadt fire department, who received the bronze medal of merit from the state of Burgenland. These awards were ceremoniously presented by the state fire brigade commander LBD Ing. Franz Kropf and show once again how important the firefighters' commitment to the community is bfkdo-wiener-neustadt.at reported.

The fire brigade's anniversary not only adds another moving chapter to Mattersburg's city history, but also reminds us of the fire brigade's roots in the region. The history of the fire service, which dates back to Roman times, shows that protection against fire and fires was a central concern of humanity. Even in the Middle Ages, communities were obliged to organize fire protection, and firefighters took on an essential role in the social structure, comparable to today's volunteer fire departments, which often emerged from gymnastics clubs, as Wikipedia explains.

Fire department as a municipal backbone

The Mattersburg Volunteer Fire Department is an example of the permanent place that such institutions occupy in the social life of communities. The number of members has grown steadily over the years, which illustrates the importance and support of the population. The firefighters not only respond to fires and emergencies, but also play an important role in cultural events. Examples of this include festivals, support at the Kerwa or the Christmas market, which prove that the fire brigade is more than just fighting fires.

Another example of the fire department's successful local cohesion and integration work can be found in the Wilhelmsdorf volunteer fire department. With around 100 members, including around 60 active members over the age of 18, the number of members has more than tripled in the last 25 years. In addition to the active fire department, Wilhelmsdorf also has a children's and youth fire department to introduce young people to the topic at an early stage flz.de reported.

A look into history

The origins of the fire service are deeply rooted in human history. The first fire department in the Roman Empire was built in 21 BC. Founded with 600 slaves. In the Middle Ages, communities were obliged to organize fire protection, while tower guards and night watchmen were responsible for reporting fires. Today, fire departments can no longer be compared in terms of their organization and modern equipment standards with earlier times, when buckets, ladders and rip hooks were the usual tools, as Wikipedia shows in detail.

These milestones illustrate how important fire departments are for safety and the common good. The anniversary celebration of the Mattersburg Volunteer Fire Department will be remembered not only as a celebration of the past, but also as a confirmation of the future of fire and disaster protection in the region, which rests on the shoulders of committed and courageous women and men.