Austrian Television (ORF) also likes to decorate its offerings with satirical contributions, sometimes even unintentionally. In any case, the program “Welcome Austria” is very popular, in which a comedian duo named Maschek puts funny statements in the mouths of celebrities in film segments instead of the original sound.
A favorite victim of the program is the Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. So far he has been able to cope with all attacks with a cigarette (strong cigarette) and with humorous composure. A good year ago he gave a humorous speech at the Leipzig Book Fair on the subject of multilingualism, in which he included a sentence that was popular in Austria. This reads: “What separates us from German is the common language.”
Van der Bellen, a trained professor, not only speaks the sophisticated German language, but also the dialect of the Tyrolean Kaunertal. When he once fell while hiking, he commented on his misstep in good Kaunertalese: “Warsch it auchagstiega, warsch it ocha gfloga” (if you hadn’t gone up, you wouldn’t have fallen down).
It was logical that the Bavarian Language Association came up with the idea of handing over the Bavarian language root to Van der Bellen. Even more so when science shows that a form of South Bavarian is spoken in the Kaunertal. Only worldly personalities receive the language root. Pope Benedict XVI She received it, as well as the Austrian ski hero Armin Assinger, the philosopher Gerhard Polt and the space engineer Berti Meisinger. The trophy promises eternal glory.
Impressed by this, Van der Bellen signaled great goodwill and his acceptance was almost certain. But then the presidential office got wind of the matter and took a stand.
As was heard, the strict gentlemen in the Hofburg feared that their boss could once again give reason to be cheekily dubbed by Maschek and thereby be harmed. Kaunertalerisch is not well received in Vienna. Sounds like the deepest province, the posh people complain.
“Oida, that’s enough!” says Van der Bellen occasionally when something doesn’t suit him. However, his guardians at the Hofburg did not listen to his request to receive the language root. All that remains to be said with Karl Valentin is: “I wanted to, but I didn’t dare.”