Seniors find love at weekly dance in Austria
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Up to 300 seniors gather each Monday at the Martinsstube in St. Martin im Mühlkreis, Austria, where Willi Thurner and Gerti Förhlich met and fell in love.
The couple first connected at the dance hall nearly ten years ago, on November 4, 2017. Willi noticed Gerti dancing with another man and believed they weren’t a couple, while Gerti took the initiative to ask him to dance.
Since then, Willi and Gerti have been a couple, meeting four times a week with Mondays reserved for the Martinsstube, where their relationship began. The weekly event draws attendees from a wide area, some traveling over an hour to participate, according to hall owner Alfred Ulreich. Franziska and Josef Mörzinger originally started the dance event, which began with around 20 to 30 participants but now regularly fills the hall.
Regular attendees Maria and Walter Kaar, ages 87 and 88, say the dances keep them feeling young. Organisers believe the event prevents loneliness and creates opportunities for social connection, demonstrating that it’s never too late to form new relationships.
