A picture is worth a thousand words.
Under this motto, the Topotheque team led by former mayor Hannelore Handler-Woltran hosted a Topotheque evening at Katzelsdorf Castle on 2nd of May. The ballroom was packed to capacity when, following a welcome address by Mayor Michael Nistl, the founder of the Topotheque – Alexander Schatek, himself a resident of Katzelsdorf – gave an introductory talk and explained the Topotheque and its significance at a local level. Hannelore Handler-Woltran then provided some fascinating insights into the municipality’s immense digital archive. Over 20,000 entries provide a very comprehensive historical picture of community life and the development of the town over many decades. For instance, Katzelsdorf Castle was part of the largest horse hospital on the Eastern Front between 1940 and 1945, a fact well documented by this series of photographs.
Even better documented are the festivities in the municipality – over 7,000 entries prove that people in Katzelsdorf have always known how to celebrate. The entry for “Laurentius-Kirtag” alone features over 800 images, dating back to its inception in the 1980s.
Once again, it has become clear that the Topotheque, as a digital archive of a place’s everyday history and stories, is attracting great interest across generations.