Austrians prepare for ‘Elvis Week’

Mozart would be mortified. Beethoven would probably spin like an LP in his grave. But for next week, at least, they ain’t nothing but hound dogs to Austrians obsessed with the King.

Vienna’s Hilton becomes the Heartbreak Hotel on Monday, when “Elvis Week” -- seven days of live music, memorabilia and screenings of Elvis Presley films -- kicks off for those who love him in Europe, where he never gave a concert.

The festival coincides with the 28th anniversary of Presley’s death on Aug. 16, 1977. But it underscores the singer’s huge popularity in Austria, Germany and other countries where he’s still got fans all shook up.

“For me, he was the only unique entertainer in the world,” said organizer Wolfgang Hahn, who runs Elvis4You, a new shop in downtown Vienna that sells Elvis music, memorabilia and trinkets. “My mission is to tell people in Central Europe how good he really was.”

Vienna’s Las Vegas-style festival, which is expected to draw hundreds of fans, isn’t the only Elvis event being offered.

French fans plan to gather in Fontainebleu on Aug. 25, and Elvis enthusiasts in England will assemble in Bristol on Sept. 6 for United Elvis Meetup Day.