Court President Christoph Mayer: “Became a lawyer because of the Steyrer Zeitung”

“I am happy to be standing here today. I am proud.” The words that Christoph Mayer, President of the Steyr Regional Court since January 1 and successor to Erich Dietachmair, who after 13 years became President of the Linz Higher Regional Court, came from the center of his heart. This honesty and openness of the 52-year-old from Steyr at his inauguration by Dietachmair and Governor Thomas Stelzer was refreshing and happily commanded respect from each of the more than 100 guests in the Steyr courtroom and on the screens in front of it.

The Steyrer Zeitung was at the very beginning of his career, he said in his speech: “I always read the court articles with enthusiasm and I really wanted to become a lawyer.” Mayer gave special thanks to two of his sponsors and teachers: Alfred Hofstätter, once equally modest and valued judge at the district court of Steyr, and Günter Bittermann, before his retirement a powerfully eloquent criminal but actually magistrate at the regional court of Steyr, would have had a significant impact on his development. The new court president also had praise ready for his predecessor Dietachmair: “You let me work, but you were also challenged with me.”

Christina Forstner was appointed as Mayer’s successor, who worked with dedication as a youth criminal judge. The new vice-president moderated the ceremony in a charming and skilful manner. Together with Dagmar Gursch, she also takes on juvenile criminal law matters.

The fact that Mayer’s heart doesn’t just beat for law, but that he is also a family man, became clear afterwards during the cozy finale that lasted into the evening: The Burgenland Kipferl came from his daughter Anna, from daughter Franziska, who is currently attending the master class, a magnificent bouquet of flowers, which he presented to his wife Agnes with a kiss as a thank you.

Guests at Mayer’s inauguration were not only all his employees and fellow judges at the Steyr Regional Court, whom the new President thanked in advance for their dedication and commitment, but also numerous personalities from Steyr and other court locations in Austria: In addition to the Senior public prosecutor Elisabeth Stellnberger and her deputy Andreas Pechatschek were also director Werner Gschwandtner, chairman of the expert committee, Stefan Pfarrhofer, judge at the regional court in Linz and chairman of the state association of the public service union, Steyrs deputy. City police commander Peter Eitzenberger, Kirchdorf’s district police commander Franz Seebacher, municipal director Martina Kolar-Starzer, district governors Barbara Spöck (Steyr-Land) and Elisabeth Leitner (Kirchdorf), mayors Markus Vogl (Steyr) and Anton Silber (Garsten) and of course Mayer’s parents, the long-retired school directors Elfriede and Karl Mayer among the guests.