Politicians Are Puzzled, Too

Why Crosses Are Disappearing from Classrooms

In Wels, 507 crosses, coats of arms, and images in schools had to be replaced. In Linz, however, the situation was quite different.(Bild: stock.adobe.com null)

Now another 50 school crosses are missing. Andreas Rabl, the Freedom Party mayor of Wels, had an inspection conducted during summer break to check on the status of the legally required school crosses: In 117 of the 238 classrooms, there were none. New ones were hung up. But the disappearance continues. 

“We’re puzzling over this ourselves. I don’t think it’s just the students’ fault,” says Rabl. Especially since—as the mayor adds—a teacher told him to his face “that she doesn’t want a cross hanging in her classroom.”