Christmas miracle

Lost savings book finds owner thanks to “Krone”

The Schersch family discovered the report in the "Krone" newspaper.(Bild: Erika Schersch)

A savings book for 5,000 euros, silver coins, vouchers and greetings cards were in a bag discovered by an eager finder. Thanks to her report in the "Krone", the valuable contents have now found their way back to their owner.

It is thanks to an attentive "Krone" reader that a long search came to a successful end. When Willi Schersch opened his newspaper last Sunday, he came across a report about a bag with valuable contents that had been handed in as a donation for a rag market in Styria. In addition to a savings book for 5000 euros, silver coins and vouchers, the bag also contained greetings cards.

One of these cards - it was pictured in the report - caught the eye of the man from Micheldorf (Upper Austria) because he recognized the handwriting of his wife Erni. Years ago, the couple had used it to wish a former neighbor a happy birthday, who now lives in Styria.

"They are looking for you"
Daughter Erika Schersch immediately picked up her cell phone and at 7.30 a.m. Bettina Z.'s phone rang in Stainz, Styria. "They're looking for you, you're on the front page of the newspaper," the 42-year-old was told by her friend and former neighbor. "I didn't know anything about it at the time," says Z., "but my friend laughed so much that I thought it couldn't be anything bad."

Finder Eva Resch (right), owner Bettina Z. and the valuable bag.(Bild: Jürgen Z.)

Finder and owner got to know each other
The bag had been handed in to the lost property office in the meantime, where Z. had already picked it up. On Saturday, she met the dedicated finder Eva Resch (57). The lady has been working at the flea market for years, had discovered the valuable contents of the flea market donation and did not let up. The 57-year-old first tried to find the owner on her own, but when she got nowhere, she contacted the "Krone".

Eva waived her finder's fee. That's why her share is now going to a charity in our town.

Bettina Z. (42) aus Stainz in der Steiermark

Bag was a seat for children
But how did the "treasure" end up on the rag market? "The bag was in my parents-in-law's house in Groß St. Florian and when we visited there with our three children, it was also used as a booster seat," says Bettina Z.

The children are now older and no longer need the bag. The parents-in-law therefore wanted to do something good and donated it.