“Schnitzel unter” in Waldhausen in Upper Austria: a 350-year-old inn fell victim to the severe storm. The neighbor had the idea to save. And so it happened that many regular guests helped the desperate innkeepers.
“It was an apocalypse, I’ve never experienced anything like it.” Christoph Schauer (44) pauses during the cleanup to talk to “Krone”. The boss of Gasthof Schauer in Waldhausen suddenly heard “deafening noise” on Monday evening. Then everything happened very quickly: within minutes, water masses and hail poured over the family business. The ice clogged the garden drains, the water pushed open the door inward.
water everywhere
The ground floor was flooded by more than half a meter because the amount of rain on the other side of the building could no longer drain away – the gate could no longer be opened. “The electricity immediately went out. I was wading through the water in the dark when a box swam towards me.”
With tractor against gate
The neighbor eventually opened the gate by driving his tractor into it from the outside. That way the water could flow away. But by then the damage had already been done. “My parents built everything that was destroyed,” says Schauer. His great-grandfather bought the inn 130 years ago and it has been in the family ever since. Even before that, the 350-year-old building served as a hostel.
High damage
The traditional inn, which cooks with many regional ingredients and wants to reopen as soon as possible, is in “good” company. In agriculture alone, the storm night in Upper Austria caused damage of 4.6 million euros. An expert must first clarify how high it is in Gasthof Schauer. But some things are beyond repair: children’s photos and the parents’ wedding album also swam in the body of water.
Happy to be helpful
Magdalena Buchinger, who runs the inn with her brother, sees something positive in the accident: the great willingness to help from emergency services, neighbours, acquaintances and even customers. “Regular customers stopped as they drove by, canceled their appointments and immediately asked us, ‘Where can we help?'”
Another host helped
Particularly touching: the day after the storm, the funeral of a regular guest took place, the Gasthof Schauer should have prepared the funeral party. A friendly landlord jumped in and made his kitchen available. The funeral association could therefore still be taken care of.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
