Mayor murdered

Dark shadows hang over Kirchberg ob der Donau

Numerous dramas have already occurred in the tranquil village of Kirchberg ob der Donau.(Bild: Dostal Harald)

Kirchberg ob der Donau is in mourning after the murder of Mayor Franz Hofer on Monday. But the small Mühlviertel town has already seen its fair share of drama. The events hang over the tranquil village like a dark shadow.

Kirchberg ob der Donau lies high above the Danube, at an altitude of 580 meters above sea level. The Mühlviertel village has a population of 1070 and has repeatedly been hit by tragedies in the past. In 2009, an eleven-month-old baby fell 2.5 meters down a flight of stairs. Little Mona underwent emergency surgery but died shortly afterwards in hospital. Two years later, eleven-year-old Peter was fatally injured when his heavily intoxicated father caused an accident.

Death on the way to school
On December 5, 2023, eleven-year-old Julia was hit by a car in the early hours of the morning on her way to the bus stop - she had to cross an unlit street - and suffered fatal injuries in the accident.

Grandpa runs over grandchild
A terrible accident occurred on a farm on May 11 this year. A 66-year-old grandfather ran over his two-year-old grandson Roland while reversing his farmyard tractor. The child had apparently been running after the man and the farmer overlooked little Roland. The public prosecutor's office filed a criminal complaint against the grandfather on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter. However, there was then a diversion, i.e. an out-of-court settlement: The 66-year-old had to pay a fine of 1,600 euros.

81-year-old killed
And last summer, on 10 August to be precise, an 81-year-old man was run over by his 31-year-old neighbor's tractor while bringing in hay and fatally injured.

The next shock for the community came on Monday: Mayor Franz Hofer was the first victim of Roland Drexler, he was shot dead.