"Everything littered"

Nomads in caravans attacked the village

A total of more than 60 caravans were parked in Grafenstein.(Bild: zVg)

Nomads have gained the trust of a landowner in Grafenstein with false information. Instead of a few announced entrepreneurs, numerous settlers with more than 60 caravans invaded the village within a very short space of time and littered it. 

"Originally, the landowner was asked if three to four contractors could park their caravans at his place to get to work in Klagenfurt," explains Stefan Deutschmann, Mayor of Grafenstein, on behalf of the affected citizen, as he is currently difficult to reach. 

The good-natured man gave his consent, but after the initial few vehicles, a whole convoy suddenly rolled into the village on Saturday. "They settled near the traffic circle, on the site of the old Orsini Rosenberg brickworks," says a local resident who prefers to remain anonymous.

The nomads settled near the traffic circle.(Bild: zVg)

"There were more than 60 caravans in total with various license plates, from Belgium to the Netherlands and Germany. They littered everything," says the mayor. 

Green spaces used as toilets
But that's not all, as the photos of a local resident, which show excrement and piles of toilet paper, show. The woman expressed her outrage: "The path to the train station in Grafenstein was apparently used as a toilet by them."

There were piles of excrement and toilet paper on the path to the station.(Bild: zVg)

Green spaces were used as toilets.(Bild: zVg)

The situation eventually escalated
The commotion reached its peak just one day after the nomads invaded the village. "The situation escalated on Sunday. Some of them were here in their sports cars and raced through the area. Which is why the police issued several fines," explains Deutschmann, who also contacted the district authority and the public health officer about the settlers. "However, as the land is private property, their hands are tied. They can only intervene on public land."

The settlers finally left Grafenstein at the beginning of the week and moved on in an unknown direction. "All of the remains have now been removed and everything has been cleared away," says the head of the municipality.