Over 40 scholars from a variety of disciplines and institutions met in the OeAD main building for a short welcome reception. Scholars were able to get to know their rally group members at this point, mingle among each other, and help themselves to a small variety of refreshments. The rally team members were grouped in small groups of 5-6 people by language (English and German) and by means of a self-indication provided at the time of registration as to how well they thought to know the city of Vienna. This way, groups were able to head into the rally with similar experiences and familiarities of the city.
After a group photo and a 20-minute walk from the OeAD main building to the Stephansplatz at the centre of Vienna, the rally groups were introduced to the rally by the friendly Wiener Rätselrallye Team who explained how the rally – or ‘Schnitzel hunt’ (“Schnitzeljagd”) as it is called in German – works. With a roadbook and a map of Vienna, groups moved through the city centre and solved puzzles to get to the next station where further clues awaited them. These puzzles included answering historic or trivia questions about Vienna, as well as completing creative tasks. The groups were supervised by the rally team, and over the course of two hours (which some claimed was nearly insufficient!), they were able to get to know the city from an entirely different side.
Each group decided on a creative name and, depending on their rally success, participants were also able to win prizes, including certificates depicting their knowledge of the city. A virtual winning ceremony was held the week after, and scholars were able to pick up their certificate at the Regional Office Vienna.
Winner was the group “Seleni” with 69,5 out of 73 points. We would like to congratulate cordially!
We hope that all participants had a wonderful experience, enjoyed the rally, and were able to meet many new fellow scholars!
