Königswiesen school moves to the Ukraine

The people in Königswiesen are happy about a perfect second use of the school furniture that has been thrown out of the middle school. 60 tables, 125 armchairs, eight teachers’ desks and ceiling lighting for several classrooms will upgrade the school equipment in Uhlya in western Ukraine in the future. The furniture was shipped on Friday.

“We refurnished our middle school just before Christmas. Of course, the question immediately arose as to whether the furniture we had been using up to then could not be donated, because it is clearly too good to be disposed of,” says Königswiesen Mayor Roland Gaffl. When looking for an organization that could handle such a donation logistically, Landlerhilfe was quickly noticed. This has been deeply rooted in Königswiesen for years with Anita and Josef Haider. Landlerhilfe chairman Helmut Atzlinger was enthusiastic about the offer: “We keep getting inquiries from the villages we look after as to whether we can provide school equipment. The furniture we dispose of is still ten times better than what is in the schools there.” This also applies to the furniture from Königswiesen.

While a buyer was found very quickly for the school furniture donation, the organization of the actual transport turned out to be much more difficult. “Currently, there are hardly any haulage companies that carry out trips to the Ukraine. Of course, each trip also has to be financed,” says Atzlinger. It therefore took a few weeks before the furniture could actually be loaded on Friday. In the meantime, the tables and benches could be stored in the Herbergerhalle, which is known for its numerous events. “The camaraderie with Johann Spiegl was very helpful to us. By joining forces, we managed to initiate this aid transport,” says Mayor Gaffl. In order to help Landlerhilfe with the transport costs, the market town of Königswiesen called on the school outfitter Piller from Innsbruck, who had been commissioned to carry out the refurbishment.

As soon as the school furniture from Königswiesen has arrived in Uhlya, Helmut Atzlinger promised that the community would be thanked with a certificate of thanks and some photos. The Theresienfeld region was settled under Empress Maria Theresia with woodcutters from the Salzkammergut. Since the fall of the Iron Wall, there has been a lively exchange of aid supplies from Upper Austria.