With him, “Burgenland, the ethnic group of Burgenland-Croats and all of Austria are losing a voice that not only made incomparable melodies heard, but also the disadvantaged and disenfranchised in our society,” Bishop Aegidius J. Zsifkovics of Eisenstadt is quoted as saying by Kathpress.
Resetarits have “always used his success for social and socio-political projects in his multifaceted musical career,” says Zsifkovics. “He didn’t remain, which would have been a lot, the musician with socio-political messages, but had a very concrete effect through his many social initiatives such as the Vienna Integrationshaus.”
Tireless commitment to humanity
Caritas President Michael Landau and Caritas Vienna Director Klaus Schwertner commented on resetarits on Facebook. His sudden accidental death “leaves a painful void and is a bitter loss,” Landau wrote. The intertwining of artistic and social commitment encouraged and inspired many people to help others. Resetarits have “contributed a great deal to peaceful and respectful coexistence in our country”. Schwertner wrote “Oh no. Der Kurtl is no more” and recalled “countless and unforgettable” concerts by Resetarits he witnessed. How tirelessly the deceased fought for human rights and humanity throughout his life “is and remains exemplary. He was a real fighter for humanity.”
In a broadcast, ÖVP spokesman Nikolaus Berlakovich described Willi Resetarits as a “big Burgenlander with a big heart”. Not only was he “an extraordinary artist”, “but as a Burgenland-Croat he was deeply connected to Burgenland and was always committed to the ethnic groups. It is also particularly noteworthy that he campaigned for the disadvantaged in society and against xenophobia. “
ServusTV is changing its program in memory of Willi Resetarits and is broadcasting an edition of “Austropop Legends” dedicated to him this Monday at 10:30 p.m. The documentary by Rudi Dolezal traces the most important stages of the colorful and long career of the musician, who has inscribed himself in Austrian musical memory as “Ostbahn-Kurti”. Resetarits died in an accident yesterday at the age of 73. On Saturday evening he opened the refugee ball at the Integrationshaus in Vienna.
Starting today, Monday, the film and series platform Flimmit (flimmit.at) is showing five productions in memoriam Willi Resetarits, which once again shed light on his childhood and his musical and acting career. In addition to the documentary “Vom ewechn Lem” there is the feature film “Blutrausch”, the ORF-Grätzel story “My Favorites”, as well as Ostbahn Kurti’s visits to Birgit Denk in the ORF III program “Denk mit Kultur” and by Resetarits in his birthplace Stinatz from the ORF series “Places of Childhood”.
Source: Nachrichten
