Fighter for the environment

“You have to stand out and sometimes be loud”

The "open fridge" is both an environmental and a social project.(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

Vorarlberg is the "Land of Volunteering". In his series of the same name, author Robert Schneider brings people in front of the curtain who are committed to helping others. He recently met Ingrid Benedikt from Dornbirn.

The Kolpinghaus in Dornbirn is buzzing with people coming and going when I meet Ingrid Benedikt, the former city councillor and eco-pioneer, for a chat. There is hardly a quiet spot to be found in the auditorium. The weekly senior citizens' dance is just starting in the main hall. A polite old lady asks, almost bashfully, if she can quickly put on her dancing shoes. Then she disappears into the hall.