1929-1938

The Challenging Early Years

On 19 April 1929 Paul Blagusz obtained a license to run a contract haulage business and had soon switched from trader to transport entrepreneur.

Burgenland was awarded to Austria in the Peace Treaty of St. Germaine in 1919. By the late twenties people slowly became accustomed to thinking of it as an Austrian province. Many people from Burgenland were frustrated by the lack of work in their frontier region and emigrated. Paul Blaguss and his brother Stefan remained, however, and built up the company together. They transported people, animals, furniture and goods with two lorries. The trips were often adventurous and long. For example, the drive from Oberpullendorf to Vienna took seven hours.

In 1932 the company fleet consisted of three lorries (a Perl, an Austro Fiat and a Gräf). A Perl L 6, complete with a fixed coach chassis and crank-operated windows, was used for the first excursions. The company survived over the difficult economic times and became an important transportation company for the district of Oberpullendorf.

In July 1935 Blagusz obtained permission to “issue tickets for motor vehicle rides and organize conducted tours with these vehicles.” This was the cornerstone for the travel agency.