Who removed them?

Mystery surrounding “stolen” municipal staircase

The residents can be seen in front of the missing staircase, which was cordoned off with a construction fence. However, there is no sign of the construction workers.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Reini Holl)

A missing staircase in a Viennese council building caused confusion. The tenants received support from the FPÖ. But only a "Krone" inquiry brought clarity. 

A curious story has unfolded over the last few months in the municipal building at Peter-Jordan-Straße 81-91 in Währing. Back in the summer, residents noticed that a staircase connecting two wings of the building had simply disappeared.

A construction fence had been erected in its place, which initially led to puzzlement. What had happened to the staircase? Several residents contacted Wiener Wohnen, but each received a different answer. Sometimes they were told that a construction company had gone bankrupt, sometimes they were referred to the foreman who was supposed to know - but no solution to the problem was found.

False information given
Tenant Erich B. was referred to a construction company that carries out this type of work in municipal buildings. When the 48-year-old called them, he was told that they had not been working with Wiener Wohnen for a long time.

It is incomprehensible that an entire staircase is simply removed and nobody knows what happened to it. This mismanagement on the part of Wiener Wohnen is at the expense of the tenants.

FPÖ-Landtagsabgeordneter Udo Guggenbichler 

The matter dragged on for months while the staircase remained unusable. "A few tenants still tried to use the stairs, but that is of course extremely dangerous," reports B. He and his neighbors were annoyed by their landlord's inaction and lack of interest. In desperation, they initially turned to the FPÖ, who assured them of support. 

Wiener Wohnen finally clarified the situation
But it was only after the tenants contacted the "Krone" that things started to move. A response from Wiener Wohnen solved the mystery: "Fortunately, the staircase was not stolen," explained a spokeswoman. Instead, the steps of the staircase had been battered and therefore had to be replaced to make it safe to use. "Some of the work has already been completed, the rest will depend on the weather. We are endeavoring to complete the work as quickly as possible," they say.

However, there are external factors - such as the drying times of the concrete - which unfortunately cannot be influenced. "If the weather permits, the new steps will be installed before Christmas, otherwise in January 2025," they emphasize. It is also pointed out: Until completion, tenants can access the courtyard side from the street side via one of the other staircases.

This solves the mystery of the "stolen" staircase. An early Christmas present for those affected.