The culture of repair in Vöcklabruck and Gmunden

Otelo – the open technology laboratory – is now a facility in numerous locations throughout Austria. Otelo is also established in the district towns of Vöcklabruck and Gmunden and is promoting its culture here with two innovations under the motto “Repair instead of throwing away”.

Georg Stadler, one of the tech-savvy protagonists of the regular Repair Cafés in the former Gmunden Capuchin monastery, recently organized a school event for “Repair Kids” for the first time at the Franziskus middle school in Vöcklabruck. A physics teacher was able to win over 25 students, Stadler brought together seven repair workers from Otelo and two HTL teachers from Vöcklabruck, so that all repair workers always had an experienced assistant at their side.

Save money and resources

As with the Repair Cafés in the Otelos Gmunden, Vöcklabruck and Vorchdorf, the student format is also about repairing defective devices in a friendly atmosphere, thus saving money and resources, and it is also about the feeling of happiness that arises when you have given a beloved device a new life. Examples: A toaster has been reheated, three CD players are playing music again, two remote control cars and a tractor are whizzing around again. A schoolgirl proudly took the repaired razor to her dad.

There will be another premiere at the next Repair Café in Otelo Gmunden, where the format previously designed for household and electrical appliances will be enriched by a new facet. Stefanie Holy, Waste Advisor at the Gmunden District Waste Management Association, also organizes and looks after her own textile repair café on a voluntary basis. This creates the opportunity to support interested parties with specialist knowledge, technical equipment and various materials.

Information at www.franziskusmittelschule-voecklabruck.at and otelo.or.at/standort/gmunden