Building a compromise: the opening of a new Mosque in Bad Voslau
Report: Maria Katharina Moser
Camera: Willi Lindenberger
Editing: Carolin Hutle
00:02
The towers of this factory dominate the skyline of the south Austrian spa town of Bad Voslau.
Near the old factory a new Mosque has been erected. If you don't know the way it is difficult to find, as there is no tell-tale minarette to mark out the place of worship, as church towers do.
00:25
Nevertheless, around 3,000 people have managed to find the way. Muslim and non-Muslim residents of Voslau have come to the opening of the Mosque. Or rather, the opening of the „Centre for Culture" as the not-for profit organisation ATIB has dubbed its project. This is not just a place for prayer.
00:48
OT Selfet Yilmaz, ATIB Bad Vöslau, Project Manager of the Centre for Culture
The building is designed to house German Language courses, all kinds of educational activities, and a Youth Centre. It is designed to be a place where peaceful co-existence is possible.
01:08
The Mosque is opened in a ceremony which includes readings from the Koran, a Dervish dance, and a Brass Band. An unusual mix. But today's multi-cultural festivities have been preceeded by a time of great racial tension in Voslau.
01:25
The Turkish-Muslim Association ATIB bought the land in 2006. The town's residents call the area ‚Little Istanbul'. The population is predominantly Turkish, made up of immigrants who came to Germany in the 60s as a cheap labour force, and who once worked in the now long-deserted factory. They became residents of Voslau - Muslim residents.
02:50
The Muslim population of Bad Voslau has been coming to pray in this courtyard Mosque for a long time. The space was far too small, especially on important holy days, when a large part of the congregation would have to stay outside.
In July 2006 the ATIB revealed their plans for a new Mosque - a building with a dome and two 25 metre high minarets. A plan which was legally approved.
In November the City Review published the plans. A wave of protest broke out. The newly formed Trade union of European Culture collected around 1,500 signatures. The main reason for the protests: the minarets and domed turret.
The Mayor began talks with his Crisis Management team. And initiated a mediation group. Eleven representatives of all Parties from the City Council and 5 representative of the ATIB worked out a compromise: a see-through construction. The 25 metre-high minarets were replaced by little glass towers of only half the height. Construction could begin.
03:14
OT Sezer Misirli, ATIB Bad Voslau, Member of the Mediation group
This building says a lot about us too, about this mix of people. It is modern, but retains certain cultural aspects. And it is precisely such a mix that it represents. We, the Muslim community, are just like that - open to new things, but also with our own cultural traditions.
03:36
OT Christoph Prinz, Mayor of Bad Voslau
Of course now, I am very relieved to have seen that...
03:51
OT Selfet Yilmaz, ATIB Bad Vöslau, Project Manager Centre for Culture
The Architecture is not as important to me as peacful co-existence.
03:59
As a sign of co-existence, the Turkish children's choir sings the south Austrian national anthem.
04:13
But are these outward displays masking latent cultural tensions?
The religious academic Ernst Fürlinger is researching similar conflicts over the building of Mosques in Austria.
04:26
OT Ernst Fürlinger, Religious academic, Danube University Krems
In the whole of Austria conflicts over mosques become extremely heated, almost hysterical. And people forget the basis on which this debate rests - constitutional laws, and amongst these the basic right of religious freedom. And cultural freedom is part of religious freedom. The Muslims have a constitutional right to express their beliefs openly, even when this takes the form of buildings.
04:59
OT Karl-Jürgen Romanowski, protestant priest, Bad Voslau
When Joseph the II passed the Tolerance Law in 1781, a set number of protestants were allowed to build a house of prayer without a church tower, without bells, without round windows and with an entrance hidden in a courtyard. And now here in Bad Voslau it was decreed that if the Mosque was to be built, it would have to go without all of its external signs. The parallels are quite striking.
05:31
There is a crucial question which seems to have been skirted around in Voslau. How far should we take religious freedom? What must be included and accepted?
It seems that other cultural questions have taken the limelight here.
05:45
OT Selfet Yilmaz, ATIB Bad Voslau, Project manager, Centre for Culture
They were mainly questions of language and integration - age old themes that are well known by the whole of society.
06:00
OT Sezer Misirli, ATIB Bad Voslau, member of the mediation group
Some think: Will the Turks now isolate themselves there? Will they form their own group?
06:09
Recognition of former migrant workers and their culture, peacful social co-existence, linguistic integration - broad cultural themes which mask contentious religious issues raised by the conflict over the Mosque.
06:26
OT Ernst Fürlinger, Theologian, Danube University Krems
In other areas the mayor might simply prevent the building of a Mosque before it has even begun - there is no building and no discussion. See, from this perspective the situation in Bad Voslau represents a certain degree of progress. We sit around a table and discuss it. But as far as basic constitutional rights go, Bad Voslau is hardly exemplary.
07:57
So for now, how best to deal with conflicts over the construction of mosques is a question of perspective. Yet in the meantime architecture remains a surface for projecting fears and prejudices, and not only in Bad Voslau.