Not a cent seen

He has been fighting his dismissal for 20 years

Paul Perterer with some of the documents relating to his unusual case. The documents now fill 14 folders in his office.(Bild: Hölzl Roland)

He has been fighting his dismissal for 20 years, and even the UN has called on Austria to pay compensation. And yet the former head of office has not seen a cent so far. How is that possible?

They are all full to the brim, packed with documents, letters, applications and official correspondence. "There are already 14 folders. A lot has simply accumulated over the years," Paul Perterer puffs. The former head of Saalfelden in Salzburg has been taking action against what he considers to be an unjustified dismissal by the municipality for almost 20 years. "I want to finally be able to put an end to it," he says. This wish has not yet been fulfilled - partly due to an unresolved legal tangle.