Hotly contested city

How John Lennon is now also “involved” in the election

Waidhofen political veteran Herbert Höpfl plays the "John Lennon card" in the municipal election campaign in the Waldviertel.(Bild: Herbert Höpfl)

Herbert Höpfl is not only a political veteran in Waidhofen an der Thaya, he is also a huge John Lennon fan. However, he still doesn't have "his" street in the Waldviertel town. The local councillor is campaigning with what he considers to be a timeless music idol.

The election campaign in the hotly contested Waldviertel town of Waidhofen an der Thaya is really pulling out all the stops - even beyond death. Herbert Höpfl, councillor for culture, who has been a member of the local council for the Independent Citizens' List (UBL) for 30 years, is using Beatles music legend John Lennon to promote his candidacy. The UBL is running as a joint list with the Greens as IG Waidhofen.

Folder for the preferential vote campaign
In the campaign for preferential votes, he combined his portrait photo with a photomontage of his idol, showing several different pairs of glasses worn by Lennon. After quoting Lennon, he writes: "I even take off Lennon's glasses for Waidhofen culture."

"Still inspiring today"
In an interview with the "Krone" newspaper, the music festival organizer explains that the Beatle is still inspiring today: "His music anyway, but also his statements that shook people up and held up a mirror to them. Provocative, just like reality is."

City councillor for culture Herbert Höpfl enters the political ring again in Waidhofen an der Thaya.(Bild: IG Waidhofen)

With his music idol John Lennon, Höpfl wants to score points above all in the cultural scene of the Waldviertel district town.(Bild: AP/Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

"Street fight" in Waidhofen
As the longest-serving local councillor, Höpfl wants to remain a councillor for culture and has long been known in the town as a Lennon fan: Soon after the millennium, he called for a street to be named after John Lennon in the municipal council. "What does he have to do with Waidhofen?", the ÖVP replied at the time. Höpfl countered quite originally: "And what do Mozart, Schubert and Haydn have to do with the town?" (Note: these street names exist in Waidhofen.) He laughs: "Then there was an awkward silence."

Today, John Lennon Street still doesn't exist. "We've only given it a few names since then," regrets Höpfl.