Fire victim bullied

Fire drama: “Bullying should come to an end!”

There is nothing left of the burnt-down house.(Bild: Christian Schulter)

The shadow of the past hangs over a mother of two who is fighting against bullying. Exactly four years ago on Saturday, a world collapsed for Daniela Bauer (46) from Sieggraben in Burgenland. All her belongings went up in flames when her ex-husband set fire to their home. For the family, however, the drama is still not over.

"I can still smell it in my mind, the burnt furniture, the charred wood, the sooty walls," she says. 15 years of partnership with her husband, twelve of them in marriage, lay in ruins overnight when the separation seemed inevitable. The "ex" had set fire to the house in the early hours of the morning. According to the emergency services, the flames raged in several places.

Furniture, wardrobe, jewelry, toys, photo albums - everything was consumed by the flames.(Bild: Privat)

Garage door hurled as far as the neighbor's house
"Enormous pressure had built up in the garage, the door was flung across the street right in front of the neighbor's house," recalled volunteers. "Thank God nobody was injured. The danger was great, a lot more could have happened," Daniela Bauer looks back with concern. She was not at home with her two children, but at a friend's house in safety. Why did "dad" do that? The eldest son's question remained unanswered.

As a strong woman with courage, Daniela Bauer is currently on the cover of a lifestyle magazine.(Bild: Grammer Karl)

Suddenly the family had nothing. "All my jewelry, all my childhood photos, all my toys and my entire wardrobe were destroyed. Even the children's savings books were gone," Bauer explains. The small family moved into emergency accommodation with two suitcases. A fundraising campaign was launched. "We wouldn't have been able to pay our bills without help," says the fire victim.

"Boys give me strength"
"I was lying on the floor more than once, and I didn't weigh 50 kilos. But I got up again and again. My great boys give me strength," says the 46-year-old. As a working, single mother, she masters everyday life - against all odds. Daniela Bauer complains about harassment, stalking and hostility from local politicians.

"The strongest faction on the local council obviously wants to make my life unbearable. Regardless of whether I want to move into a new house with my children or ask for a higher pay grade in my work at the municipal office, which I am entitled to - everything is boycotted, blocked. For no reason, without justification," denounces Daniela Bauer.

Mother of two demands more respect and fairness
"I don't want anything for free, I just want to be treated decently. I think it's mean when people overstep their authority out of sheer arbitrariness." Daniela Bauer doesn't want to put up with everything: "If I don't speak up now, the hostilities will never stop. I only demand respect and fairness from others. Malice and anger should come to an end!" With this appeal, the courageous woman speaks from the heart of most people in the village.