Special anniversary
Firmly in the mayor’s seat for 20 years
Matthias Stadler took over as mayor of St. Pölten in 2004. He is now the longest-serving mayor of the post-war period in the provincial capital with 20 years of service. He took stock for the "Krone" newspaper.
"I have many more plans for you." With this sentence, the then mayor Willi Gruber brought a certain Matthias Stadler, aged 37, onto the municipal council for the first time in 2003. Stadler already knew St. Pölten very well at this point, having been employed by the city since 1992, but the leap into politics was new territory. He promptly joined as a councillor for school, cultural and youth affairs.
A year later, it was already clear what Gruber had in mind for him. He asked him if he would like to be his successor. "I didn't say yes right away on the first evening," Stadler recalls. But a short time later he did. He was then sworn in on July 9, 2004. "I thought a lot about it. How would people react to me within the party, would I be able to fulfill the trust placed in me," says Stadler.
Stadler took office at a turbulent time. The city's image was poor and there was hardly any recognition as the provincial capital. In addition, the complex takeover of the hospital by the state led to a record level of debt. "Economically, we were dependent on a few large companies at the time," Stadler looks back.
20 years later, the situation looks different: Stadler has been confirmed in four elections since then, each time with an absolute majority. When asked about the formative developments during this time, he can name many answers: The development of the University of Applied Sciences into a campus, the fast train connection to Vienna, the completion of the freight train bypass, but also the establishment of the Frequency Festival or the continuous expansion of the LUP city buses. Stadler also addresses the building rights campaign for businesses. "Otherwise we wouldn't have a primary care center today, among other things."
Despite attempts to steer me into state or federal politics, I still have a lot planned in St. Pölten. I will run again in 2026. However, we are already thinking about who could be my successor.
Bürgermeister Matthias Stadler
In addition, the city has a broader economic base thanks to the establishment of many small and medium-sized enterprises. "It doesn't just need the big flagships," says Stadler, who once again refers to the development of the UAS: "1600 people are now employed there." Cooperation with the state is also going very well. Nevertheless, Stadler also has to look back on a few negative highlights: "Of course, I would have liked to have spared myself and many others the Glanzstoff fire, the gas explosion and the flood."
"Today, everyone expects an answer immediately"
Admittedly, a lot has changed in the two decades. "I used to have a lot of folders at the table, you still had time to make decisions. Nowadays, everyone is waiting for an immediate response, whether by email or WhatsApp," says the mayor. Generally speaking, the "pace has increased", the number of appointments has risen significantly, and there are still plenty of challenges ahead. "For example, the demographic development with the many retirements, including in the town hall, or the economic dependence on China and the digital transformation with consequences for local trade."
The nature and environmental aspects cannot be ignored either. "But we have positioned ourselves well as a pioneering city." Nevertheless, St. Pölten has been given the nickname "St. Beton" by some. "This makes you realize that you are facing a major challenge these days, especially from a spatial planning perspective. But densifying and strengthening the urban space where the infrastructure is already in place makes sense."
A new favorite place is growing
In his private life, Stadler likes to spend time in his own green space. "I love gardening." However, his favorite spot has been history for some time. "It was under my cherry tree in the garden. It had to be removed. But the next tree is already growing," smiles the head of the city, who also enjoys swimming or sitting on the exercise bike. "I also like to go to the small lake to find peace and quiet," says Stadler.
Incidentally, Stadler is expecting a party at Rathausplatz on July 9 from 4 pm to mark the 20th anniversary.
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