WORKERS WELCOME!
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In 1974 Hasan Yılmaz travelled to Vorarlberg at the age of 18 to become a “guest worker”. He did so two years after his father, who bought this suitcase in Istanbul for the purpose. “Dear brother Mustafa, please return the suitcase; we will need it.” That was the message in the suitcase written by Hasan's wife, who has lived in the Tyrol since 1980.
Like many other Filipinas, Clarita Rohrer, née Ocheda, was recruited to the Tyrol as a carer by Father Daberto. The photograph shows Clarita Ocheda shortly before boarding her flight in Manila in October 1973. She was met in Munich by Father William Parschalk, who looked after Philippine carers in Austria.
The Tyrol welcomed Clarita Rohrer with snow and cold weather. In the photograph taken outside the Malfattiheim, the old people's home where she worked, she is wearing this light blue pullover, the only warm item of clothing she brought with her in 1973.
Merly Baumgartner still has the summer dress she wore on her first journey to the Tyrol in 1973.
In 1961 the “Tiroler Tageszeitung” reported a serious shortage of labour in the construction, textile and metal industries and the catering trade.
Turkish newspapers drew attention to the demand for labour in Austria: In 1970, 12,000 Turkish workers responded to the recruitment campaign, followed by a further 20,000 in 1971. On 20 August 1970, the Turkish newspaper “Milliyet” reported on the visit paid by the Turkish Minister of Labour, Seyfi Öztürk, to Austria's Vice-Chancellor Rudolf Hauser.
Cengiz Riza (centre) was already working in Fulpmes in the Stubai Valley. During a visit to Uşak, he recruited other fellow Turks like Osman Arıkan (2nd right). Uşak/Turkey, about 1971