Schandorf became independent from Schachendorf in 1996

Schandorf became a separate municipality from Schachendorf in 1996, after residents called for greater autonomy, ORF Burgenland reports. The split followed years of complaints that the village’s concerns were not being heard and that it was financially disadvantaged.

“As members of the municipal council, we repeatedly felt that we were not taken seriously,” former regional parliament member Edith Mühlgaszner recalled. Former councillor Engelbert Herics said a review of the accounts after the separation confirmed the financial disadvantage.

SPÖ and ÖVP representatives in Schandorf supported the split, while people in Schachendorf opposed it. Adalbert Resetar, Schachendorf’s mayor at the time and an ÖVP member, said he believed separation would harm the Croatian presence in the village as well as the local economy.

Josef Csencsics of the SPÖ became Schandorf’s first mayor. “I hope that after 30 years people can see it was the right decision,” he said.

Independence brought practical work, including the need for a municipal hall. Schandorf has had its own municipal offices since 2010. The two municipalities still share infrastructure such as sewers and an education campus, and their clubs regularly hold joint events.