At the end of 2008, my oldest daughter was to turn 3. A good time, I thought, to find a suitable place in a childcare facility in the 8th district.

An easy decision – sure! - the implementation difficult – sure!

After visiting a lot of kindergartens in our district, I found myself in a Montessori Children's House, in Feldgasse, 8^th district of Vienna.  Children were sitting at small tables. One child was pouring water into a jar, another one was spooning lentils from one bowl into another. One child sat at a child-sized sewing machine, sewing.

In short, I felt like I was in a children's home described by Dr. Maria Montessori. I was impressed, deeply impressed. I knew, this was the right place for my children!

But, as mentioned before:

The decision easy - the implementation, as it should turn out, complex.

Christine Kontner, Montessori lecturer and directress of the Children's House, assured me that she would be very happy to take care of my older daughter for the time being and later also my younger daughter, but there that there would be some renovation work necessary. She herself wanted to retire in few years and so this seemed an insurmountable obstacle and the end of the Montessori Children’s House.

At that time, we lived in a turn-of-the-century house at Skodagasse 3, also 8^th district of Vienna. I knew of a vacant apartment and before I could sort out my thoughts, I heard myself saying:" Yes, if it's only about the premises, I'll take care of it, if you could only continue running the Montessori Children’s House at least until my two daughters start school!" Mrs. Kontner was surprised, but not unwilling to consider my proposal.

Exactly two weeks later we found ourselves in the apartment door number six in the turn-of-the-century house house, Skodagasse 3, Mrs. Kontner, a kindergarten inspector, a fire protection officer and me. Then everything moved on very fast, I hardly had time to realize.

Builders, plumbers, carpenters, furniture transporters came.

Together with Christine Kontner and Hella Klein, Montessori lecturer of the DMG (German Montessori Society) we made it! We adapted 140 m2 for a Children's House, 22 children completely equipped with Montessori materials.

The opening was on the first Monday of September in 2008.