Two men have died in Vienna after exposure to freezing temperatures. Caritas says the cases show why using Austria’s winter cold lines can be crucial.
Two men have died in Vienna in recent days after being exposed to very low temperatures outdoors, according to ORF Wien. Caritas confirmed both deaths and said the cases showed why winter emergency support matters, including the so-called Kältetelefon or “cold line”.
Across Austria, similar phone lines and services allow members of the public to alert outreach teams when they notice someone at risk in cold weather. The basic idea is simple: if someone is outside in freezing conditions, a quick call can help services reach them in time.
What is the ‘cold line’?
The “cold line” is the common name for regional phone lines run by Caritas or partner organisations that people can call if they see someone sleeping outdoors in dangerous cold. On its homelessness information page, Caritas Austria said many people want to help when they notice an improvised sleeping place, but do not know what to do.
Caritas recommended approaching the person and asking whether they need help. For practical support, it said people should contact a regional Caritas Kältetelefon or a Caritas facility. In an acute, life-threatening situation or if someone’s health is at risk, Caritas said you should call the ambulance service on 144.
Caritas Vienna director Klaus Schwertner said the line was recently receiving around 350 calls a day in the capital, and ORF reported there have been about 8,000 calls in Vienna so far this winter.
Schwertner said tips via the cold line had helped locate people “literally at the last minute”, including cases where people were brought to hospital with a body temperature of 34C and could be stabilised, as reported by ORF. He also said Caritas had been able to refer people to emergency accommodation in several hundred cases.
Advertisement
Where to call?
Caritas listed different contact points across Austria, with opening hours and winter operating periods that vary by region:
Vienna: Caritas Vienna Kältetelefon 01/4804-553, 24 hours, October 29th to April 29th
Burgenland: Caritas Burgenland Kältetelefon 0676/8373-0322, 8 am to 10 pm, November 1st to March 31st
Styria: Caritas Styria Kältetelefon 0676/8801-58111, 6 pm to midnight, November 11th to March 31st
Carinthia: Caritas Carinthia Kältetelefon 0463/3960-60, 6 pm to 6 am, November 1st to March 31st
Salzburg: Caritas Salzburg Kältetelefon 0676/8482-10651, 24 hours, November 1st to March 31st
Tyrol: Kältetelefon 0512/2144-7 (Tyrolean Social Services, TSD), 24 hours, November 1st to April 30th
Vorarlberg: Caritas Center Feldkirch 05522/200-1700, 8 am to midday (Mon to Fri)
Notschlafstelle (emergency sleeping place) at Jahnplatz 4, Feldkirch 05522/200-1200, 4:30 pm to 8 am
Caritas Café 05522/200-1570, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (Mon to Fri), 8:30 am to midday (Sat)
Upper Austria: cold line for the city of Linz (Sozialverein B37) 0732/7767-67560, 10 am to midday (Tue and Thu), November 1st to March 31st. Outside these times there is an answering machine. Emails can always be sent to linzer-kaeltetelefon(at)b37.at
Lower Austria: no cold line. Caritas said emergency sleeping places exist in St. Pölten (Emmaus) and Wiener Neustadt (Verein für soziale Betreuung Süd and VBO), with information on homelessness services in Lower Austria available via netwo-noe.at
The organisation said support differs by region and can include streetwork, where social workers follow up on reports, visit the person and location, and offer help such as sleeping bags, advice and referrals to emergency accommodation. Other regions focus more on emergency sleeping places.
Advertisement
READ ALSO: ‘Achtung… Gefahr’: What do Austria’s weather warnings actually mean?
Key vocabulary
Kältetelefon – “cold line”, a phone line to report people at risk in cold weather
Winternothilfe – winter emergency assistance services
Streetwork – outreach work by social workers supporting people on the street
Notquartier – emergency shelter or emergency accommodation
Notschlafstelle – emergency sleeping place (overnight facility)
Wohnungslosigkeit – homelessness or housing exclusion (umbrella term)