New name

Grazer Gasse commemorates Wolfgang Pucher

The blessing of Wolfgang-Pucher-Gasse was attended by Graz city politicians, VinziWerke and Pastor Bernhard Pesendorfer.(Bild: Stadt Graz/Foto Fischer)

On Monday, new street signs were unveiled in the Lend district in memory of Wolfgang Pucher's tireless efforts on behalf of disadvantaged people. He campaigned for the deletion of Heßgasse as it contributed to the social exclusion of its residents. Now the street has been named after him. 

Heßgasse was once located between Laudongasse and Starhemberggasse in the district of Lend. It is closely linked to the work of Pastor Wolfgang Pucher, who died in July 2023. On his initiative, the alley was removed from the city map in 1986.

Pastor to the poor had himself buried with old street sign
The street signs for the new Wolfgang-Pucher-Gasse in the Lend district were unveiled on Monday in the presence of VinziWerke and Graz city politicians. The 150 meter long residential street commemorates the priest for the poor and founder of the Vincentian Community. The side street was called Heßgasse until 1986, after which it was nameless. Pucher himself advocated the deletion of the old name. In his will, he stipulated that the old street sign for Heßgasse should go to his grave.

Wolfgang Pucher had himself buried with the old street sign for Heßgasse. His name now adorns the new sign.(Bild: Stadt Graz/Foto Fischer)

"Anyone who pronounced this address actually already had a minus point," said Mayor Elke Kahr (KPÖ), recalling that residents of Heßgasse had been stigmatized. This is why the street name disappeared from the city map at the time and the house numbers were incorporated into the adjacent Laudongasse and Starhemberggasse. This will not change - "it was important to him that the postal addresses remain," explained Thomas Ferk, Chairman of VinziWerke Austria.

A role model for humanity
"After his death, it was absolutely clear that he should be honored in a public space," said Kahr at the press event on Monday. The project was unanimously approved in February. In consultation with the VinziWerke, the decision was made in favor of this stretch of road. "Pucher worked all over the city, but the alleyway here is directly in his sphere of influence," said Deputy Mayor Judith Schwentner (Greens) to APA. Today, the four houses are used as temporary accommodation by the social services department and Pucher often stopped by here, for example at Advent celebrations.

"We have a tendency to marginalize people we don't like to see. Pastor Pucher has made it clear that these people belong at the heart of the church and society," said Bernhard Pesendorfer, pastor of Graz-St. Vinzenz. The focus is not only on the new alley, but also on the socially needy people in the neighboring houses. "I've worked a lot with Pucher, he's already off my back. We need these people who work with passion and commitment," emphasized Kahr.