Despite petition

Rescue failed: transmitter was blown up

Even a petition could not save the transmitter.(Bild: zVg)

The shortwave transmitter in Moosbrunn in Lower Austria was still in operation until the end of the year, but now - despite massive resistance - it is history! 

In the end, everything happened quickly: the short-wave transmitter in Moosbrunn in the district of Bruck an der Leitha was demolished on Tuesday, just two days before the announced deadline. "For weather reasons", as the ORF subsidiary ORS announced. The amateur radio scene in particular does not really want to believe this. After all, it was there in particular that the preservation of the transmitter was vehemently advocated. A petition was even launched on Monday, which quickly attracted more than 2,500 supporters.

Protection instead of demolition
That no longer helped. "This is very sad. There are only a few such facilities left in the world. It would still have been useful as an emergency radio transmitter," says Wolfgang Schnelzer. Like many of his radio colleagues, he would have liked to see the striking structure protected as a technical monument.

Subsequent use is being examined
The transmitter was switched off at the end of 2024 and was only used sporadically before that. It played an important role during the Cold War, but was replaced by technologies such as satellite broadcasting and internet transmissions. "The site is now being handed back to ORF. Options for subsequent use are being examined," emphasizes ORS.