Traveling "visitors"

“Caravan camp” on abandoned Kika parking lot

Those passing through want to leave again by Sunday.(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

Since last weekend, a traveling minority group has set up camp on the site of the insolvent furniture store in Ansfelden in Upper Austria. They have assured the landowner that they intend to move on by Sunday at the latest. Definitely not to Pichling, as the transit area there has been full since mid-January.

Anyone who has driven past the site of the insolvent Kika furniture store in Ansfelden in the past few days may have rubbed their eyes in amazement: Where customers had once parked to store for furnishings and home accessories, 15 to 20 campers and caravans are lined up these days - as if the deserted parking lot and silent witness to the bankruptcy had been converted into a campsite. 

At least the latter did not happen with the knowledge of the landowner, the Supernova real estate group, which was informed about the "visitors" by Ansfelden's FP city manager Christian Partoll.

When asked by the Krone, Supernova said: "We are already familiar with the issue from other locations. A representative of our company has contacted the people there. They have promised to leave again by next Sunday."

Traun was the center of attraction in 2024
Statements that Traun's VP city manager Karl-Heinz Koll also heard several times last year, when traveling minority groups - as reported - settled at the Traun stadium several times before the travelers extended their stay again and again. At present, however, the stadium area could not be used as an alternative area for Ansfelden anyway - the final preparations for the Kirtag at the weekend are underway.

Unpopular transit area also full
The transit area on the B1 in Pichling has also been full since mid-January. Following increased police checks, the area was known to have lost much of its popularity in the previous year, with hardly any minority groups to be found there in the second half of the year.