Austria experienced a year of striking contrasts in 2025,from a wandering elk captivating the nation and becoming its “Word of the Year,” to a series of serious crimes and unsettling events impacting communities across the country. The year also saw challenges from unusual weather patterns and public health concerns, demanding responses from local and national authorities.This report details a selection of key incidents throughout 2025,highlighting both the unexpected and the tragic moments that shaped the year in Austria.
A wandering elk captivated residents of Austria throughout 2025, becoming a national phenomenon and even earning the title of “Word of the Year.” The animal, nicknamed Emil after a Czech long-distance runner, first appeared in the Weinviertel region in August and embarked on a month-long journey across the country, causing disruptions and delighting onlookers.
Emil’s travels weren’t without incident. In early September, the elk wandered onto train tracks near St. Pölten, halting rail traffic for hours and prompting questions about jurisdictional responsibility, as detailed in a report by noe.ORF.at. The incident underscored the challenges authorities face when dealing with unexpected wildlife encounters.
Over the next four weeks, Emil traversed seven districts in Lower Austria before crossing into Upper Austria. Authorities eventually tranquilized the elk near the West Autobahn (A1) and relocated him to the edge of the Bohemian Forest, near the Czech border. The unusual journey captured the public’s imagination, with a Facebook group dedicated to Emil sightings gaining thousands of followers.
“Shaman” Accused of Multi-Million Euro Fraud
In January, police launched a search for Mariana M., a woman posing as a shaman named “Amela” who allegedly defrauded victims of significant sums of money. Initially, authorities estimated the losses to be in the high six-figure range.
The investigation quickly expanded, revealing a far larger scale of deception. Mariana M.’s son was arrested and implicated in the scheme, along with two additional suspects: her daughter-in-law, Donna D., who allegedly operated under the name “Anna,” and Mariana M.’s ex-husband. By July, a preliminary report from the State Criminal Police Office detailed the extent of the fraud, identifying 24 victims and suggesting a much higher number remain undiscovered.
A search of the family’s villa in Maria Enzersdorf uncovered a substantial cache of stolen assets, including 25 kilograms of gold bars, expensive watches, wedding rings, jewelry, and cash – hidden beneath a concrete swimming pool and in a safe. The total value of the seized assets was estimated at €12.6 million, as reported by noe.ORF.at. The case highlights the vulnerability of individuals targeted by manipulative schemes.
In December, family members of Mariana M. received multi-year prison sentences. However, the primary suspect remains at large, as detailed in a report by noe.ORF.at.
Early Heat Waves and Summer Flooding
Niederösterreich avoided a repeat of the severe flooding experienced the previous year, but the “unweather season” began unusually early in 2025. On March 20, a storm with hail stones several centimeters in diameter struck parts of the Krems district. “This is very rare for this time of year,” said ORF meteorologist Manuel Oberhuber.
The region then experienced a heat wave in late June, prompting heat warnings for numerous districts. The hottest day of the year was July 3, with a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg. Swimming pools reported a surge in visitors, as noted by noe.ORF.at.
July brought a series of intense weather events, with storms and flooding impacting districts including Baden, Horn, Amstetten, and Waidhofen an der Ybbs, where a scout camp had to be evacuated.
By the end of August, swimming pools reported an average of 20 percent fewer visitors, with some experiencing declines of up to 44 percent, according to noe.ORF.at. Thermal spas, however, saw increased attendance, with some reporting visitor numbers typically seen in the fall or winter.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Concerns
In March, cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) were detected in Hungary and Slovakia. The highly contagious virus causes fever and blisters in animals, but is not dangerous to humans. There is no treatment for infected animals, and outbreaks typically require the culling of all cloven-hoofed livestock.
The Austrian government increased border controls, closing smaller crossings and installing disinfectant mats at open borders. Vehicles entering the country from abroad were disinfected. From mid-April, soldiers were deployed to assist with these measures.
With no new cases reported in neighboring countries for several weeks, the restrictions were lifted on May 20. The response involved testing hundreds of farms in Lower Austria, with all tests coming back negative.
Bank Robbery Investigations Progress
Bank ATM robberies continued to be a problem in 2025. By early March, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) reported more incidents than in the entire previous year. Robberies occurred in Vienna and, in February, in the Vienna area, including Gänserndorf and Korneuburg, as reported by noe.ORF.at.
The BKA established a special task force, and in late July, the first arrests were made. Fourteen individuals, primarily Dutch nationals with North African backgrounds, were taken into custody. Searches yielded explosives, mobile phones, drugs, and cash. Further investigations led to the arrest of four more suspects in late August.
Further ATM explosions occurred in Krems in late October and in Aschbach-Markt (Amstetten district) in late November. In both cases, the perpetrators reportedly fled on scooters without taking any money, with the bank branches sustaining significant damage, as reported by noe.ORF.at.
Hacking Attacks Target Local Governments
In February, hackers crippled the IT system in the Tulln town hall and parts of the network of a company in Amstetten. Encrypted systems in both cases were restored using backups. Police said a trace led back to Russia.
Further hacking attacks targeted the insulation company Brucha in Michelhausen (Tulln district) and the market town of Maria Enzersdorf (Mödling district) in March. In early April, the town of Mödling was targeted by phishing emails sent in its name, but this was not the result of a hacking attack.
Tragic Accidents and Fires
Four teenagers entered an abandoned factory ruin to take photos, and a 15-year-old girl fell five stories to her death. This incident occurred in February in Kaltenleutgeben (Mödling district).
A tragic accident occurred on the South Autobahn (A2) near Seebenstein (Neunkirchen district) in April. A van carrying eight Ukrainian nationals collided with a truck that was merging onto the highway from a rest area. Five passengers died, and the van’s driver was later sentenced to 18 months of suspended imprisonment.
Also in April, two children, ages five and one, died in a fire at an apartment in Gmünd. The five-year-old is believed to have been playing with a lighter. The mother was sentenced to nine months of suspended imprisonment in November, after reportedly consuming drugs the previous day and falling asleep while the fire broke out, as reported by noe.ORF.at.
In St. Aegyd (Lilienfeld district), a police officer shot and killed a suspect in June after the suspect allegedly attacked the officers with a knife. A large fire broke out at a paper factory in Pitten (Neunkirchen district), with firefighting efforts lasting several days, as reported by noe.ORF.at.
In July, a shooting in Traiskirchen (Baden district) left two people dead. A 66-year-old man on approved release from prison shot his former girlfriend, age 26, and her new partner. The 55-year-old man died at the scene, and the shooter subsequently took his own life, as reported by noe.ORF.at. His prison sentence would have ended in December.
The case of the “crystal meth pastor” from the Waldviertel region went to trial in October. The former priest allegedly attempted to manufacture crystal meth in the rectory in 2024. He was sentenced to 22 months of suspended imprisonment and has been removed from his duties in the diocese, now working as an insurance consultant.
In late December, shots were fired at a mosque, a parked car, and the local Green Party office in Hollabrunn. No one was injured. Investigations were ongoing at the time of this report, as detailed by noe.ORF.at.
