RUBRIKE
Cecily Corti
Philanthropist for the homeless
by CORINNA BERGER“Discontent is an important
part of life, it makes you
search for a way out. It can
always be an impulse to
change and move forward.”
Cecily Corti is sitting in the rooftop
studio of VinziRast-mittendrin, a
project she helped launch together
with a student group of the #unibrennt
movement. The project aims to bring
former homeless people back into the
midst of society and teach young
students social competence.
VinziRast-mittendrin is a remarkable
residential, mentoring and employ-
ment program where former homeless
people live and work with students.
Together, they live in group apartments
with shared kitchens, common rooms,
workshops and a restaurant, in a
light-filled 18th century apartment
house in the 9th district, renovated by
the architecture firm Gaupenraub +/-.
Around Corti’s neck hangs a little
pendant of the holy spirit shaped like
a dove. After her husband passed
away, she wanted to make a differ-
ence, even if only on a minor scale. “I
tried finding possibilities that would
help me make small changes,” she
said. This fundamentally changed
her life. “It was unavoidable.”
She is dedicated to aiding the
homeless, but at the same time she
very much dislikes the word “help,” a
word she feels emphasizes an
unequal relationship between the
giver and the recipient.
“It is so crucial that we empower the
person receiving help and not the
person giving it. It shouldn’t be a
priority to boost one’s own sself-
esteem by supporting others. Anyway,
it is impossible to know how much of
a difference the assistance we provide
really makes.”
In 1945, as World War II came to an
end, Corti and her family fled Slovenia
and sought refuge in Austria with
relatives, giving her a keen understand-
ing of the meaning of home, a recurring
theme in her work.
“For me, home is something within
oneself. In our homeless shelter, we
make sure that upon arriving, the peo-
ple can find some peace and quiet, and
that they can have experiences that will
strengthen their sense of themselves.”