City of Vienna Supports Renovation of Heinz Nittel Road Safety Training Center in Jerusalem
In Jerusalem, the refurbished training center for road safety, named after former city councilor Heinz Nittel, was reopened. The training center for children was built in 1983 with donations from the City of Vienna and the Austrian-Israeli Society (OEIG) at the request of the then Mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek, who grew up in Vienna.
The City of Vienna, through the Jerusalem Foundation, is investing with the City of Jerusalem in memory of Heinz Nittel. / Picture: © Israeli and Austrian crossed flags by Vindobona
After some 40 years, the need arose to renovate the Jerusalem Municipality-administered center in the Nayot neighborhood and bring it up to modern standards. The renovation, carried out by the Jerusalem Municipality, was financially supported by a grant from the City of Vienna to the Jerusalem Foundation. Among other things, the asphalt and electrical systems were replaced, the upper floor of the center was waterproofed, classrooms were renovated and freshly painted, and a multimedia system was added.
Michael Ludwig, Mayor and Governor of the City of Vienna in his message of greeting delivered at the opening by Austria's Ambassador to Israel, Nikolaus Lutterotti, said, "I am pleased that the City of Vienna, in its decades-long ties with Jerusalem, can help to ensure that in the future even more Jerusalem schoolchildren learn safe behavior in traffic in training sessions." This is also in keeping with the spirit of the great Viennese politician and cosmopolitan Heinz Nittel, Ludwig said.
At the center, which simulates a city with streets, traffic lights, cars, bicycles, crosswalks, and intersections, more than 15,000 students from elementary schools throughout Jerusalem learn each year how to behave safely in traffic. After the renovation, even more children will be trained in the future. To commemorate the center's namesake and the renovation supported by the City of Vienna, a commemorative plaque was placed on the building.
Background of the center
The center is named after Heinz Nittel, Vienna SPÖ city councilor and president of the OEIG, who was murdered by a terrorist on May 1, 1981. Among those present at the reopening was Andreas Nittel, Heinz Nittel's son.
The cordial relationship between the City of Vienna and the Jerusalem Foundation was marked by the friendship between the then Mayor of Vienna, the late Helmut Zilk, and the founder of the Jerusalem Foundation, Teddy Kollek.
Since then, the City of Vienna has contributed to other projects in Jerusalem, including the David Yellin College, the Vienna Section at Wohl-Rosenpark, and the expansion of the Ein Yael Museum. Former Vienna Mayor Michael Häupl is also one of the sponsors of the Road Safety Education Center, where he supported the creation of an additional classroom with suitable storage space for bicycles and equipment.