Heroes in the village: award for Korneuburg's best!

Heroes in the village: award for Korneuburg's best!

Ollersdorf, Angern an der March, Österreich - On June 13, 2025, a large number of committed citizens gathered in Angern on March for the festive “Forum Dorf & Stadt”. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the village and urban renewal, a special award was awarded, which honors the valuable work of ** village heroes **. A total of 120 of these committed personalities were on site, including numerous mayors who had nominated their parishioners for the award. This campaign, as Dorf-stadterneuerung.at, shows the great importance of voluntary commitment for the further development of the villages.

At this inspiring event, five outstanding village heroes from the Korneuburg district were awarded. Among them are true role models of commitment: Monika Blitzinger from Langenzersdorf, Matthias Edelbauer from Hausleiten, Ingeborg Lederbauer from Niederhollabrunn, Rosa Schwarz from Enzersfeld in the Weinviertel and Gerald Strasser from Großmugl. Each of these excellent has contributed to strengthening their community through tireless use.

The heroes of everyday life

The excellent village heroes are not just names on a list, they are the ** pillars of the community **, the encouragers and role models. Rosa Schwarz, for example, was involved in the church choir, while Gerald Strasser took responsibility for a sports club. Monika Blitzinger actively supports her community, and Matthias Edelbauer is not only a civil protection officer, but also an active fire brigade member. Ingeborg Lederbauer is committed to the Bruderndorf chapel. Their commitment is diverse and testifies to the valuable cohesion in the villages.

This award round is part of a broader initiative that is carried out about every two years to promote voluntary work in Lower Austria. The campaign was completed in 2025, and there were a large number of nominations submitted by the mayors and whose deputies, meinzirk.at. The end of the nomination was on May 15th, and during this time all submissions had to be complete to be an option for the award.

civic engagement in rural areas

civic engagement is no coincidence. In rural areas such as in Lower Austria, committed citizens often have the potential to do a lot of good. While some regions are fighting with demographic change and social fragmentation, events such as the "Forum Dorf & Stadt" show that there are also positive opportunities. As shown [bpb.de] (https://www.bpb.de/themen/stadt-land/laendliche-raeume/343480/buergereglichlichlichlichliche-engagement-als- designsengagement/), a few motivated people in small villages can cause major changes.

whether by organizing village festivals or the establishment of new clubs - the commitment of the citizens promotes quality of life and strengthens cohesion in the communities. In recent years, the number of new clubs in the region has increased, and 77 new communities have already been active, which are committed to the village renewal. The regional initiatives are not only a ray of hope, but also a sign that the community holds together.

At the award ceremony, not only trophies, but also valuable documents from Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf and Maria Forstner, the chairwoman of the Lower Austria Association of Dorf and Urban renewal, were presented to the award ceremony. Her words underlined the essential role of civic engagement for the future of villages in Lower Austria.