Career
Since 2005, Stenzel has been Bezirksvorsteherin (district mayor) of Innere Stadt, Vienna"s downtown district. She stepped down after the 2015 elections and was succeeded by Markus Figl (Österreichisches Volkspartei (Austrian People's Party)). Stenzel was born in a Catholic family of Jewish descent.
Her father was engineer of the North railway.
Her mother was the daughter of a rabbi and chazzan in the Rotensterngasse, Leopoldstadt. Studied journalism, political science and modern history
Journalist and presenter at ORF (1972–1999)
Delegation member, European Union-Poland Joint Parliamentary Committee (1997–2002)
Delegation Chair, European Union-Czechoslovakian Republic Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002–2004)
Schuman Prize
Protests against about fixed closing hours
Stenzel has been criticised by local and national artists for her conservative positions and most notably for her outspoken support of a closing hour in Vienna"s 1"st district ("Innere Stadt").
This culminated in a satirical video which covered the Duck Sauce hit "Barbra Streisand". This video became known as Ursula Stressned (Ursula don"t stress) and gained wide popularity within days and became a YouTube fad.
Switch to Austrian Freedom Party
Shortly before the 2015 Vienna Elections, Stenzel switched from the christian-conservative Austrian People"s Party (Österreichisches Volkspartei (Austrian People's Party)) to the right-populist Austrian Freedom Party (Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (Freedom Party of Austria)), because the Österreichisches Volkspartei (Austrian People's Party) executive committee had decided not to endorse her district mayor candidacy for another term.
However, the Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (Freedom Party of Austria) came only in third, with the Österreichisches Volkspartei (Austrian People's Party) getting the relative majority of the First-District vote.