The Wärmes­tube: A Place for Heroes

At the end of 2023, a heroine from the Wärmestube was given special recognition: Christa Murtinger, who established the Wärmestube together with Elisabeth Papauschek and Stefan Schröckenfuchs and led this ministry for ten years, was honored as a “Viennese Heroine” ("Wiener Heldin") of the 15th district by district mayor Dietmar Baurecht. On 5 March 2026, the official ceremony took place as part of the Vienna Heroine Gala. A total of 58 women from all districts of Vienna were invited to this celebration and were honored for their service to the community.

Each Viennese heroine was introduced with a short film before being honored personally, creating an impressive panorama of civic engagement in this city. Christa was accompanied that evening by a cheerful group of people from the various congregations that support the Wärmestube (the Fünfhaus Gemeinde, ESUMC, and the Old Catholic Heilandskirche). Also seated at our table was another heroine from the 15th district, Vera Rosner, a trainer and dancer at DanceAbility, and district councilor Magdalena Schneider, among others. It was a wonderful and inspiring evening! We are delighted for and with “our” heroine Christa Murtinger. And we look forward to more hero stories, including from the Wärmestube!