Vienna launches new campaign against knockout drops, controversy over Turkish language job ad at a Lower Austrian school, and major kitchen manufacturer HAKA files for insolvency—plus more stories from Austria on Tuesday.
Vienna launches new campaign on knockout drops
The City of Vienna has unveiled a new campaign warning about the dangers of knockout drops in nightclubs and bars, which render victims defenceless and are often used to facilitate sexual violence, ORF reported.
The initiative, titled “Nothing is O.K. with knockout drops”, includes posters, free cards, and protective drink covers. City councillor for women’s issues Kathrin Gaal (SPÖ, the Social Democrats) emphasised that staff in clubs will soon be required under the Vienna Events Act to receive training on how to respond if an incident occurs.
The city recorded around 80 suspected cases of assault linked to knockout drops in both 2023 and 2024, though the number of unreported cases is believed to be far higher. Victims are urged to seek medical help immediately so that evidence can be secured. Federal women’s affairs minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner also announced a nationwide information campaign.
Controversy over Turkish language job ad in Baden school
A job advertisement at the Praxisvolksschule of the University College of Teacher Education (PH) in Lower Austria has triggered political debate because it listed “very good knowledge of Turkish” as a requirement, according to ORF Niederösterreich.
The Ministry of Education ordered the ad to be withdrawn and rewritten, criticising that it mixed legal requirements with desirable criteria. Rector Erwin Rauscher defended the inclusion, arguing that with 197 pupils speaking 20 first languages, additional skills were useful to support German language acquisition in difficult social contexts.
The ÖVP in Lower Austria criticised the signal effect, insisting German must remain the central language of instruction, while the FPÖ, the far-right Freedom Party, called the ad “unfair and discriminatory” against teachers without Turkish skills and demanded stricter enforcement of German on school grounds.
HAKA Küche files for insolvency with €11.4m liabilities
HAKA Küche, a family-owned kitchen manufacturer based in Traun (Upper Austria), has filed for insolvency with liabilities of €11.4 million, making it the country’s third-largest insolvency of 2025, ORF Oberösterreich reported.
Founded in 1930, the company employs 158 staff across sites in Traun, Mondsee and Vienna. Salaries for July were already unpaid. The insolvency was triggered partly by HAKA’s 2023 takeover of a bathroom furniture factory from Villeroy & Boch, which proved loss-making, combined with declining demand for kitchens.
Restructuring proceedings have been opened, and the company intends to continue operating. Creditors have been offered a 20 percent quota, payable within two years. The Chamber of Labour has advised consumers to make payments only upon delivery and confirmed that existing contracts remain valid unless rejected by the insolvency administrator.
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Medical Chamber to reopen ÖGK contract talks in autumn
The Austrian Medical Association plans to reopen negotiations with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) this autumn on a nationwide general contract for doctors, ORF reported.
Despite the merger of regional health insurance funds in 2020, different contracts still apply across provinces, meaning fees and services such as birthmark checks vary depending on location.
The Austrian Court of Audit recently recommended that provincial chambers should no longer have veto power over a nationwide agreement, a move that would make reform easier. The ÖGK aims to introduce a unified remuneration model with standard tariffs by mid-2026.
Psychology study places expanded in Graz
Interest in psychology studies remains high, with 1,000 applicants sitting the entrance exam today in Graz for just 300 places – 70 more than last year, ORF Steiermark reported.
Rector Peter Riedler said tragic events in Graz and global challenges have fuelled interest in the field.
Applicants had to prepare using a 300-page script, with the test lasting two and a half hours and focusing on analytical skills and text comprehension in German and English. Admission tests are held simultaneously in Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt.
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Vienna court upholds Sharia-based arbitration award
The Vienna Regional Court has ruled that an arbitration award based on Islamic law can be valid under Austrian law, provided it does not contradict the country’s basic legal principles, Die Presse reported.
The case involved two men who agreed to resolve disputes according to Sharia principles, with the tribunal ultimately ordering one party to pay €320,000.
The losing party challenged the ruling, claiming that Sharia is interpreted differently by scholars and incompatible with Austrian values. However, the court confirmed that Islamic law can be effectively agreed in arbitration contracts for property-related claims, and that its role was not to review the interpretation of Sharia but only to ensure that the outcome did not violate Austrian fundamental values.
Ten years after refugee crisis: Former school coordinator calls for realism
Reflecting on the 2015 refugee crisis, former Green Party MP and school refugee coordinator Terezija Stoisits argued that school overcrowding cannot be blamed on pupils’ origin or language, but on teacher shortages and systemic failings, Die Presse reported.
She criticised the government’s decision to halt family reunification on the grounds of protecting schools as an “imposition” lacking evidence.
Stoisits said Austrian schools had faced refugee arrivals before, such as during the Yugoslav wars, and highlighted teachers’ efforts in integrating children without German skills. She rejected the widespread use of separate “orientation classes” for newcomers, insisting that classmates remain the best support for learning German.
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