New chairman of the senior citizens' association: Wipplinger leads Rohrbach!

New chairman of the senior citizens' association: Wipplinger leads Rohrbach!

On October 17, 2025, the district meeting of the Rohrbach Senior Citizens' Association took place in the Wildparkwirt inn in Altenfelden. This important event for the older generations brought together numerous local groups to review the activities of the last four years. Under the leadership of the former state governor Dr. Josef Pühringer, who gave an inspiring speech as guest of honor, made the event an important occasion for the community. Pühringer emphasized: “We are seniors who enjoy and shape life!”

A central highlight of the evening was the election of the district board, which takes place every four years in accordance with the statutes of the senior citizens' association. This year Leopold Wipplinger, former mayor, was unanimously elected as the new chairman. A small gift was also presented to the departing board members to recognize their achievements.

Important topics and challenges

In recent years, the Upper Austrian Senior Citizens' Association has been heavily involved in improving the quality of life of older people. At the state senior citizens' days, such as the one that last took place on the 22nd, central topics such as care, age discrimination and the role of the senior citizens' association in society were addressed. Dr. Pühringer was re-elected as state chairman with an impressive 99.8% and is always keen to bring the concerns of the older generation into the focus of the political discussion.

What is particularly alarming is the increasing number of age discrimination cases, which have increased by 70 percent, as recent reporting shows. In view of these developments, Pühringer called for measures to give older people more say and support. This includes, among other things, a care allowance that lasts a maximum of three months and the promotion of 24-hour care.

Support and commitment

The Upper Austrian Senior Citizens' Association has been working for the interests of the older generation since 1956 and now has around 76,500 members. In the period since the last state senior citizens' day in 2021 alone, a whopping 17,485 new members have been added, which underlines the relevance of this organization. Against this background, it is particularly important that the 11,000 volunteer officials of the Senior Citizens' Association continue their work and strengthen social cohesion within the community.

The motto of this year's State Senior Citizens' Day was "Aging is not for cowards", which reflects the determination of seniors to actively participate in social life. Together with the support of political representatives, such as Governor Thomas Stelzer and other guests of honor, the Upper Austrian Senior Citizens' Association would like to bring about lasting changes in society.