Johannes Hinterholzer wins Lower Austria civilian service award

Johannes Hinterholzer has been named Lower Austria’s civilian service worker of the year for 2026 after developing digital tools during his placement at the Caritas Workshop in Zwettl, ORF reported.

The 20-year-old from Bad Traunstein in the Zwettl district completed his civilian service from October 2025 to June 2026 at the facility for people with disabilities. Alongside his work with clients, he used knowledge from Zwettl’s information technology technical college to create several digital projects.

One of the projects replaced the workshop’s paper-based meal-ordering system. Staff had previously collected orders in each department and passed them on by telephone. Hinterholzer introduced online forms with automatic evaluation.

The system has reduced the workload for employees while helping clients develop greater independence and digital skills. “Computers and mobile phones are popular with many people. The new digital solution provides more clarity, is faster and more reliable, and creates another opportunity for independence,” Hinterholzer said.

Federal Minister Claudia Bauer of the Austrian People’s Party honoured him at a ceremony at the Federal Chancellery.

“It is good that we can highlight young men here who have done far more than simply fulfil their duties,” Bauer said.

Hinterholzer will begin studying at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in October. The Caritas Workshop in Zwettl is expected to remember his innovations for a long time.