Leoben and Eisenerz

Erzberg remains the “Styrian loaf of bread”

Trade unionist Franz Jantscher in front of the Voestalpine steelworks in Leoben-Donawitz.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Jürgen Fuchs)

Despite the current recession, many people's livelihoods in Upper Styria are closely linked to the traditional leading industrial companies, as the examples of Leoben and Eisenerz show. And a look at the election results shows this: The SPÖ can still score points here, the Greens have no meters.

Generations call it the "Styrian loaf of bread", the Erzberg, to which the city of Eisenerz, the VA Erzberg company, Voestalpine with its steelworks in Linz and Leoben-Donawitz and the Montanuniversität Leoben owe their existence. Mining and steel processing are still the basis of life for many families, especially in Upper Styria.