Individual Cases and Repeat Offenders

Austrian Mauthausen Committee

THE FPÖ AND RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM

Individual cases and repeat offenders Individual case In the federal state parliament, 6 the FPÖ Carinthia is the only party that rejects the erection of a memorial for the victims of Individualthe Nazis at thecase former 41 Gestapo headquar FPÖters treasurer in Klagenfurt. from Zams, Patrick Ober- - prantacher, isIndividual attaching a quotecase to 91a picture of hisThe federal public partybecame chairman aware that Jürgen- Heinz-ChristianMichael Strache, Kleppich, which wasFPÖ used district councilor by the Naziin propaganda Vienna-Leopoldstadt minister Joseph and Attaché at the Goebbels: Austrian“Now, people Embassy rise inup, Israel, and lethad spread on the storm Facebookbreak loose!” a picture of his grandfather in Nazi uniform with swastika and a picture of himself wearing a T-shirt of the extreme right- wing “identitarians”. After massive protests, the Foreign Ministry ordered to Austria. Kleppich back

www.mkoe.at

Updated second edition 1. June 2018 1 Just before the Austrian parliamentary elections in October 2017, the Mauthausen Committee Austria presented a total of 68 extreme right-wing activities of FPÖ politicians covering a period of about four and a half years. The documentation “Nothing but individual cases?” received a strong media response and led to a wide debate. Since then, the term “individual cases” has become commonplace for describing the continuous anti-democratic activities of the FPÖ. (Starting on page 15 you can reread the 68 extreme right-wing activities.)

The FPÖ leadership did not perhaps react concerned, it rather reacted in a strongly rejective way. However, their attempt to shatter the credibility of the Mauthausen committee failed embarrassingly. After the Upper Austrian FPÖ member of parliament Gerhard Deimek disparaged the documentary on Twitter as “fake and based on lies”, the Mauthausen Committee took legal action against him. Deimek was not able to even prove of a single point of the documentation to be incorrect. He had to give a cease-and-desist declaration, publish a revocation on Twitter and bear the entire legal fees of the Mauthausen Committee.

Now, the Mauthausen Committee has followed up the individual cases that occurred since the parliamentary elections. After all, the FPÖ became a governing party in December 2017. Does the party fulfill its responsibilities in this regard? Is it more moderate now? Has the number of extreme right-wing activities in its ranks declined? Has at least the party leadership taken a step away from right-wing extremism? And does it really fight anti-Semitism?

The new individual cases, presented in this documentation in a brief and concise manner, will provide a clear answer to these questions – although we could certainly not record all individual cases of the respective period.

Nothing but individual cases?

2 November 2017 December 2017: Individual case 69 Individual case 72 The FPÖ Lower Austria wanted to dele- The newspaper “Standard” reported gate the Tulln district party chairman that the FPÖ federal party chairman Andreas Bors to the Federal Council. The Heinz-Christian Strache and the Styrian media pointed out that in November FPÖ provincial party chairman Mario 2014, a photo has been published Kunasek had been in personal contact showing Bors and two other men making with Thomas Kirschner, the chairman of the Hitler salute (see Individual case 14). the neo-Nazi splinter group “Party of the Bors therefore renounced the Federal People” in December 2015. Strache told Council mandate but spoke of an “intol- Kirschner to “keep up the good work.” erable media campaign”. In May 2016, Kirschner was arrested for defiling a Graz mosque with blood Individual case 70 from a pig and a pig‘s head. Two weeks The top candidate of the FPÖ Lower after the “Standard” report, Heinz-Chris- Austria for the provincial assembly elec- tian Strache became vice-chancellor tion, Udo Landbauer, mocked the ÖVP and Mario Kunasek became defense head of the provincial government minister. Johanna Mikl-Leitner with calling her “Muslim Mama”. Reason: According to the education plan, the state kindergar- tens should deal with different cultures. Individual case 73 Landbauer perceived this as “forced Alexander Höferl became head of Islamization”. communications in the cabinet of the former FPÖ secretary general and Individual case 71 new interior minister Herbert Kickl. The Linz FPÖ city council faction Before that, Höferl was chief editor organized an event in the Old City Hall and co-owner of the FPÖ-close web together with the magazine “Info-Di- site “unzensuriert.at”. The Federal- rekt”. This magazine disseminates racist, Office for the Protection of the Con- anti-Semitic and conspiracist content. stitution and the Fight against Terror- The Documentation Centre of Austrian ism had classified “unzensuriert.at” Resistance classifies it as “extreme right- as “partly extremely xenophobic” and wing with neo-Nazi backgrounds”. had attested “anti-Semitic tendencies” Before the event in the Old City Hall, to the website. the responsible SPÖ city councilor had reacted to wide protests and cancelled an Info-Direkt “readers meeting”, which was planned in a municipal people‘s house.

3 Individual case 74 neo-Nazi song with his password. Party The deputy FPÖ federal party chairman secretary Christian Hafenecker empha- Johann Gudenus demanded that refu- sized that the FPÖ does not constantly gees should no longer be accommodated want to get bad press. individually, but in mass accommoda- tions on the outskirts of Vienna. Thus, the refugees will have to see, “that it is not Individual case 77 as cozy in Austria, as everyone believes,” The FPÖ mayor from Wels, Andreas said Gudenus, who shortly after became Rabl, was in need to explain, after it executive FPÖ leader of the parliamen- became public knowledge that the tary group in the National Council. former municipal authorities’ employee Peter See has been the third Individual case 75 on the FPÖ list for the 2014 staff FPÖ municipal councilor Bernhard representation election, and that he Blochberger from Krumbach sent the title had been an FPÖ member from 2013 page of a Nazi women‘s magazine from to July 2017. See was dismissed in - 1943 as his Facebook Christmas greeting. December 2017 after a photo had ap Since decades, Blochberger engages peared showing him with a swastika himself in extreme right-wing activities. banner. Rabl had stated that See was Among others, he was a member of the never an FPÖ member and had con- Lower Austrian state leadership of the cealed See‘s candidacy and years of “National Democratic Party”. This party membership. was officially dissolved in 1988 because of National Socialist reactivation. Individual case 78 FPÖ defense minister Mario Kunasek claimed in an interview January 2018: with the “Kronenzeitung” that he Individual case 76 did not publish an article in the magazine “Aula”, and that only one of his FPÖ municipal councilor Markus Ripfl press releases had been printed. The from Orth an der Donau, who is also human rights organization “SOS a member of the extreme right-wing Mitmensch” proved that this claim fraternity “Olympia”, “liked” a song of was not true. The “Aula” dissemi- the neo-Nazi band “Division Germania” nates extreme right-wing, racist and on Youtube on New Year‘s Eve. In the anti-Semitic content. It also shows past, Ripfl gained attention several sympathy for the neo-Nazi NPD times by his extreme right-wing activi- party in Germany (see individual ties (see individual cases 27 and 42). He case 65). was expelled from the FPÖ because of “imminent danger”, although he claims that an unknown person has “liked” the

4 Individual case 79 tax money. “Info-Direkt” disseminates FPÖ interior minister Herbert Kickl racist, anti-Semitic and conspiracist declared his wish to keep refugees content. The Documentation Centre of “concentrated” in mass quarters. This the Austrian Resistance classifies it as statement was perceived as a reference to “extreme right-wing with neo-Nazi back- the Nazi concentration camps and lead to grounds”. broad criticism. Individual case 82 Individual case 80 Martin Glier, press spokesman of FPÖ The public became aware that Udo Land- vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, bauer, the top candidate of the FPÖ Lower used the Nazi term “Blutzeuge” (blood Austria for the provincial assembly elec- witness) on Twitter. He countered the tion, had collected donations for the criticism that followed with referring extreme right-wing association “Junge to the neo-Nazi online-encyclopedia Patrioten” (Young Patriots) in 2010. “Metapedia”. Furthermore, the Viennese weekly newspaper “Falter” reported that the song book Individual case 83 of the fraternity “Germania zu Wiener Despite massive protests, Heinrich Sickl Neustadt” contains anti-Semitic texts, was delegated fort the FPÖ into the Graz also ridiculing the Holocaust. Landbauer municipal council. Sickl is co-editor is chairman of this fraternity. The Federal of the magazine “Aula”, which dissem- Government initiated proceedings to inates extreme right-wing, racist and dissolve the fraternity. After the provin - anti-Semitic content. He also took part cial assembly election Landbauer resigned in demonstrations of the extreme right- from his political functions and suspended wing “identitarians” and offered them his membership in the FPÖ. But he does rooms for rent. not exclude his return to the party. Individual case 84 February 2018: Miriam Rydl, board member of the FPÖ Individual case 81 Tulln, insulted refugees who had left their The newspaper “Standard” reported families behind with calling them “Unter- that the Upper Austrian FPÖ provincial menschen” (subhuman beings) on Face- councilor Elmar Podgorschek belongs book. Rydl told the Media that she did not to the fraternity “Germania zu Ried”. In know that this was a Nazi term. On top of a commemorative publication in 2000, it, the FPÖ politician is also a member of this fraternity had honored the fraternity a Facebook group, that is mocking Holo- brother and SS mass murderer Friedrich caust survivors. Rydl claimed that she Kranebitter. In addition, Podgorschek also did not know anything about those had placed a half-page advertisement in contents and that she probably had been the magazine “Info-Direkt”, paid with added to the group without being asked.

5 Individual case 85 March 2018: It became public knowledge that Re Individual case 87 inhard Rebhandl, candidate of the - The FPÖ vice mayor of Graz, Mario FPÖ Salzburg for the provincial as Eustacchio, held a speech at the extreme sembly election, belongs since dec- - right-wing congress “Defenders of ades to the extreme right-wing scene. Europe” in Aistersheim. According to the Already in 1984, he was a “young com- extreme rightwing magazine “Info-Di- rade” in the “National Democratic rekt”, Eustacchio criticized the human Party”, which was officially dissolved rights in his speech. Media reports about in 1988 because of National Socialist it were followed by massive protests in reactivation. Rebhandl is a member Graz, a city that understands itself as a of the fraternity “Gothia Salzburg”, city for human rights. Eustacchio claimed which participated in a demonstra- that he did not make the statement about tion against refugees of the extreme human rights. right-wing “identitarians”. In 2010, as chairman of the ÖTB gymnastics club Golling, Rebhandl had carried a flag Individual case 88 with the words “racial purity” for his The FPÖ district party chairman of Imst, gymnastics club. Wolfgang Neururer, was pressed with charges because he had sent images of Adolf Hitler with WhatsApp to other FPÖ members. The text to one of the Individual case 86 pictures reads “Adolf, please show up! The Viennese weekly newspaper “Falter” Germany needs you!” Neururer claims reported that also the songbook of the that he had forwarded those pictures as a fraternity “Bruna Sudetia” contains anti-Se- “warning”. The public prosecutor‘s office mitic texts, which are also ridiculing the Innsbruck investigates against him and Holocaust. The chairman of this extreme against Brigitte Gröber, the executive city right-wing fraternity, Herwig Götschober, party chairperson of the FPÖ Imst. Both is FPÖ district councilor in Vienna-Leo- suspended their duties and their FPÖ poldstadt and press officer in the cabinet membership. of the FPÖ minister of transport Norbert Hofer. The public prosecution started an Individual case 89 investigation against the song book and The former FPÖ provincial party seized several boxes with unknown mate- chairman of Upper Austria, Lutz Wein- rial in the fraternity house of the “Bruna zinger, caused a stir: In an interview he Sudetia”. Götschober declared that he will claimed that fraternity members were take leave as a press reporter until the end “persecuted by the Nazis like the Jews of the investigation. However, after only at the beginning”. Weinzinger defended three weeks, he took up again his work in a Holocaust mocking song text with the Ministry of Transport. claiming that it was only “meant iron-

6 ically”. His successor Manfred Haim- April 2018: buchner, who Weinzinger calls a “fatherly friend”, rejected a statement on Wein- Individual case 93 Several FPÖ politicians attacked the zinger’s remarks. Viennese physician and SPÖ politician Mireille Ngosso with racist postings. Individual case 90 Reason: Ngosso was a refugee from the The public became aware that Wolfgang Congo and became deputy district leader Preiszler, FPÖ municipal councilor in of the first district of Vienna. For example, Guntramsdorf and high-ranking police Wolfgang Reinold, FPÖ leader of the officer in Vienna, had spread extreme right- parliamentary group in Vienna-Meidling, wing and racist content on Facebook. The posted on Facebook pictures of monkeys Viennese police initiated an inspection under an article about the SPÖ politi- according to the employment law. cian. After media reports and a request from the FPÖ provincial party secretary Individual case 91 Michael Stumpf, Reinold deleted his The public became aware that Jürgen-Mi- hate posting. chael Kleppich, FPÖ district councilor in Vienna-Leopoldstadt and Attaché at the Individual case 94 Austrian Embassy in Israel, had spread Arndt Praxmarer, an employee in the on Facebook a picture of his grandfather cabinet of FPÖ transport minister in Nazi uniform with swastika and a Norbert Hofer, “liked” on Facebook a picture of himself wearing a T-shirt of the restaurant in Germany, whose host is a extreme right-wing “identitarians”. After well-known neo-Nazi who celebrates the massive protests, the Foreign Ministry birthday of Adolf Hitler. At the request ordered Kleppich back to Austria. of the newspaper “Standard” Praxmarer claimed that he cannot remember how it happened that the “Like” button Individual case 92 - appeared. The FPÖ member of the municipal executive board Andreas Zaun Individual case 95 er and FPÖ municipal councilor The FPÖ-close website “unzensuriert.at” Daniel Boxrucker from Suben were - reported that the singer Conchita Wurst pressed with charges because by us has come out with being HIV-positive. A ing WhatsApp they have sent images comment directed against HIV-infected of Adolf Hitler along with extreme individuals was followed by a number right-wing slogans. The houses of the of anti-gay and racist hate posts on the two FPÖ politicians were searched. website. The operators of “unzensuriert. They resigned from the FPÖ. Three at” also did not delete those hate posts weeks later, they also resigned from when the newspaper “Standard” pointed their municipal duties. out their legal obligation to do so.

7 Individual case 96 Individual case 99 Kevin Guttmann, an employee of The public became aware that Robert Johann Tschürtz, the FPÖ deputy head Kiesinger, consultant at the FPÖ-educa- of the provincial government of Burgen- tional institute, had sent the cover page of land, published a short video on Insta- a Nazi calendar from 1943 as his Facebook gram. It shows dark-skinned runners Easter greeting. The cover page shows of the Vienna City Marathon, with the the “life rune”, a forbidden Nazi symbol. comment “Having their day off today?” Kiesinger had already attracted attention After the strong criticism that followed with propaganda against Muslims. this racist statement, Tschürtz admon- ished his co-worker. Mai 2018: Individual case 97 Individual case 100 The executive FPÖ leader of the parlia- FPÖ secretary general and EU par- mentary group Johann Gudenus used liamentarian Harald Vilimsky held a an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory of the speech at the invitation of the French Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán. Front National at a meeting of several In an interview with the newspaper “Die extreme right-wing parties in Nice. In Presse” Gudenus explained that there 2015, the FPÖ joined forces with these are “verified rumors” that the Jewish US parties to form the EU group “Europe billionaire George Soros is involved in of Nations and Freedom”. Vilimsky is “supporting migratory flows to Europe”. deputy group chairman. This statement led to wide protests.

Individual case 98 FPÖ vice-chancellor Heinz-Chris- tian Strache defended the anti-Semitic Individual case 101 conspiracy theory, according to which It became public knowledge that Markus the Jewish US billionaire George Soros is Hüttenmeyer, provincial chairman of the involved in “supporting migratory flows “Freiheitliche Jugend Salzburg” (Liberal to Europe”. Strache claimed that these Youth of Salzburg) and FPÖ local party are “facts”. After the SPÖ federal party chairman of Lofer, wrote in 2009 at the chairman Christian Kern sharply criti- age of 15 on Facebook: “For us National cized this statement, the FPÖ vice-chan- Socialists, the declared belief in an cellor resorted to an old anti-Semitic ideology must never turn into a phrase …” accusation: He claimed that Kern tries to This sentence originates from Nazi “poison the well”. author Hansjörg Männel. Hüttenmeyer resigned from his political duties.

8 Individual case 102 Individual case 104 The FPÖ Upper Austria criticized The leader of the FPÖ parliamentary two major cinema chains, because group Walter Rosenkranz claimed in they refused to show a spot of the the ORF feature “Im Zentrum”, that his “Liberal Youth” about the shortage party distanced itself from the magazine of skilled workers. The “Hollywood “Aula”. The human rights organization Megaplex” rejected the criticism: The “SOS Mitmensch” proved that the FPÖ spot gave the impression that foreign is still closely connected with the “Aula”. skilled workers would operate as car The magazine belongs to several Liberal burglars in Austria. Academic Associations with FPÖ politicians in leading positions. Among them the members of parliament Axel Kass- egger and Wendelin Mölzer. The “Aula” disseminates extreme right-wing, racist Individual case 103 and anti-Semitic content. It also shows It became public knowledge that the sympathy for the neo-Nazi party NPD in FPÖ vice mayor from Linz, Detlef Germany (see individual case 65). Wimmer, and the FPÖ city councilor from Linz, Markus Hein, have Individual case 105 placed advertisements in the media FPÖ municipal councilor Kerstin Witz- “Info-Direkt” and “Wochenblick” mann-Köhler from Bad Vöslau expressly with using tax-money. “Info-Direkt” praised her deceased father-in-law Rudolf disseminates racist, anti-Semitic and Witzmann for his role as mayor of the city conspiracist content. The Documen- from 1940 to 1942. The appraisal included tation Centre of the Austrian Resist- banners at the Witzmann-Köhler hotel ance classified it as “extreme right- in the center of the spa town. Rudolf wing with neo-Nazi backgrounds” Witzmann was - according to historian (see also the individual cases 71 Dominik Zgierski - “very active” in the and 81). Ulrich Püschel, the office NSDAP local group and district lead- manager of the FPÖ city councilor ership. At a minimum he supported Hein, is co-owner of “Info-Direkt”. the expropriation and expulsion of the Like Hein and Wimmer, Püschel Jewish population of Bad Vöslau. belongs to the extreme right-wing fraternity “Arminia Czernowitz”. The Individual case 106 Press Council had denounced the The liberal third president of the “Wochenblick” among other things provincial assembly of Styria, Gerhard because of its incitement against Kurzmann, wrote in the “Aula” about refugees. the “linguistic disloyalty of the German elites”. Also an FPÖ advertisement with vice chancellor and federal party

9 chairman Heinz-Christian Strache transport minister and deputy federal appeared in the journal. The same issue party chairman, threatened Kurzmann included racist insults against Austria‘s and other “Aula” writers with the loss participant in the Eurovision Song of their political positions. Shortly after Contest, César Sampson, by calling him that, Heinz-Christian Strache revoked a “quota darky”. As this became public this threat. The “Aula” disseminates knowledge, followed by strong criticism, extreme right-wing, racist and anti-Se- Strache wanted to apologize to Sampson. mitic content. It also shows sympathy for According to the FPÖ leadership, the the neo-Nazi NPD party in Germany (see name “Aula” should disappear. The individual case 65). Liberal Academics Associations shall give up their ownership of the “Aula”. But the Finally the publication of „Aula“ was Liberal Academics Associations Styria stopped after the „June“ edition, however refused to do so. Norbert Hofer, FPÖ it will be replaced by a new tabloid.

10 Which conclusions can we draw from these facts?

»» The number of extreme right-wing activities of FPÖ politicians did increase markedly. The Mauthausen committee was able to properly document a total of 68 individual cases in the period of about four and a half years before the parliamentary elections. In the half year since then there were 38. So, we can by no means say that the FPÖ as governing party became more moderate - on the contrary.

»» The new individual cases also occur at all levels of the FPÖ. Eight out of 38 can be assigned to members of the party leadership or members of the federal government. Four other cases can be assigned to close co-workers of FPÖ ministers.

»» Anti-Semitism in the FPÖ emerges much more publicly again. 14 new individual cases have connections to anti-Semitism, among others the song book scandals, the acceptance of the conspiracy theory against George Soros by Johann Gudenus and Heinz-Christian Strache as well as the support for media bringing anti-Semitic content.

11 »» The FPÖ continues to show a close proximity to Nazi ideology. 15 new individual cases demons- trate a National Socialist or neo-Nazi connection.

»» The FPÖ continues to incite against refugees and minorities. 19 new individual cases demons- trate the relevant connections.

»» The FPÖ continues to work closely with right- wing extremists in Austria and abroad. Many FPÖ politicians, especially from the leadership, are members of extreme right-wing fraternities. They are also in very good relation to the “identitarians”, whose leaders were charged in May 2018 for the formation of a criminal organization, for incitement and other crimes. At EU level, the FPÖ has joined forces with parties such as the Front National to form the “Europe of Nations and Freedom” group. There is no indication that the governing FPÖ would like to terminate the close connections to the right-wing extremists in Austria and abroad.

»» The anti-democratic activities in the FPÖ only have consequences if they become publicly known and if the party leadership is afraid of disadvan- tages. In that case – as the example of the “Aula” magazine shows, which has been supported for decades by the FPÖ – also conflicts within the party may be the result. However, they prefer to deny or downplay the situations if possible.

12 »» Repeated affirmations of the FPÖ leaders, that they do not tolerate neo-Nazism or anti- Semitism, are completely unbelievable in view of the steady individual cases. It is very much likely that vice chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache would like to entirely replace the highly stressed concept of the enemy “Jew” with using “refugee” or “Muslim”, which would be better communi- cable. But on the one hand, the transformation of concepts of the enemy does not change the underlying misanthropic attitude. And on the other hand, the anti-Semitic thinking patterns, which are close to the Nazi ideology and deeply rooted in the FPÖ and in the fraternities, prevent exactly this kind of change.

The democratic powers in Austria and Europe should face the truth. The truth as it was declared by the FPÖ secretary general and EU parliamentarian Harald Vilimsky in January 2018:

“Also in the government we will remain the same party, unwilling to step away from our positions.”

The 68 individual cases before the parliamentary elections

(from the documentation “Nothing but individual cases?”)

14 February 2013: January 2014: Individual case 1 Individual case 4 FPÖ municipal councillor Fabian Wetter The previously convicted Michael from Franking is posting a photo on Face- Gruber from Aurolzmünster who had book, which shows the German Federal been sentenced because of National Chancellor Angela Merkel with the Star Socialist reactivation and dangerous of David and the insulting remark “traitor threat, and who resigned from the FPÖ a to the country”. As soon as this is known year ago, is part of the list of candidates of to the public, he resigns from the FPÖ. Freedom Party employees for the Cham- ber of Labour elections in Upper Austria. Individual case 2 The regional chairman of the Freedom In 2002, FPÖ municipal executive board Party employees, Manfred Pühringer, member Michael Gruber from Aurolz- calls this an “error”. münster had insulted the director of the Documentation Centre of Austrian Re- Individual case 5 sistance (DÖW) with using the word The regional chairman of the Freedom “Judenschwein” (Jewpig) and threatened Party employees in Upper Austria, to kill him. For this reason, Gruber has Manfred Pühringer, is posting an insult on been sentenced because of National So- Facebook directed to a municipal coun- cialist reactivation and dangerous threat cillor of the SPÖ with Bosnian Serb roots to a conditional prison term of 18 month. (who had shortly before been a victim of When this gets known to the public, he an assassination), by calling him “hand resigns from the FPÖ. granates Yugo”. February 2014: April 2013: Individual case 6 Individual case 3 In the federal state parliament, the FPÖ Carinthia is the only party that rejects the The FPÖ parliamentary group chair- erection of a memorial for the victims of man from Linz, Sebastian Ortner, the Nazis at the former Gestapo head- had to resign, because several ex- quarters in Klagenfurt. treme right-wing activities became public knowledge: in the past, he had among others practiced the assassi- Individual case 7 nation of political opponents at “par- The weekly paper “Zur Zeit”, which is amilitary sports” with the neo-Nazi edited by the right-wing populist EU Gottfried Küssel. member of parliament Andreas Mölzer and redacted by the Freedom Party member of the national parliament Wendelin Mölzer, is mocking the social democratic

15 resistance fighter Richard Bernaschek, September 2014: who had been murdered by the SS, with stating that he had been “overtaken by Individual case 12 The deputy federal party chairman Jo- the grim reaper” in Mauthausen. hann Gudenus expresses in a meeting of right-wing conservative and extreme March 2014: right-wing politicians in Moscow a warn- Individual case 8 ing against a “lobby of homosexuals”, The German daily newspaper “Süd- which may be extremely powerful with deutsche Zeitung” reveals that during a having its own newspapers and TV sta- panel discussion right-wing populist EU tions. The goal of this lobby would be to member of parliament Andreas Mölzer reach the equality of homosexuals. “It is compared the European Union with the hard to imagine where this all is going “Third Reich” and called it a “Negro con- lead,” says Gudenus. glomerate”. April 2014: Individual case 9 November 2014: When it gets known to the public that Individual case 13 the right-wing populist EU member of FPÖ member of parliament Chris- parliament Andreas Mölzer also attacked tian Höbart insulted refugees on the Austrian national soccer team mem- Facebook by calling them “soil- and ber David Alaba with racist statements, cavemen.” he is forced to resign. Individual case 14 June 2014: The “Bezirksblätter Niederöster Individual case 10 reich” (regional newspapers Lower The FPÖ municipal councillor and lo- Austria) published a photo showing cal party chairman for Groß-Enzersdorf, Andreas Bors, FPÖ district chair- Rudolf Fischer, disseminates racist prop- man from Tulln, and two other men aganda on Facebook. He is posting: “Hu- making the Hitler salute. After Bors man beings are like bananas … nobody claimed that it was in connection wants the black!” with “fan chants for Rapid”, the soccer club reacted with outrage: “No Individual case 11 such gestures are used when cheer- The provincial party secretary of the FPÖ ing on the players.” Lower Austria and member of the national parliament Christian Hafenecker dismisses those who criticise racist propaganda as being “moralizers”.

16 Individual case 15 March 2015: FPÖ municipal councilor Kurt Lindl- Individual case 19 gruber from Steyr incited in Nazi FPÖ Member of the national parliament manner, claiming that those govern- Barbara Rosenkranz is listed among the - ing are “parasites and spongers” sup speakers of the extreme right German ported by the “leftist pen pushers of magazine “Zuerst!”. Among the speak- the regime”. He openly threatened ers, there is also the Russian right-wing opponents with forced labor on the extremist Alexander Dugin, as well as “potato field.” The FPÖ parliamen- the German revisionist of history Walter tary group chairman Helmut Zöttl Post, who denies the war guilt of Hitler’s distanced himself, however, there Germany. was no word of consequences for Lindlgruber. Individual case 20 The deputy federal party chairman of the January 2015: FPÖ Johann Gudenus denies of having agreed to take part at a European neo Nazi Individual case 16 meeting in St. Petersburg. Only when the The local FPÖ party chairman of Bad Aus- APA publishes his own letter as a proof, see, Hans Wunner, has to resign when it gets he claims of having had “memory gaps” known to the public that he is also actively and says that shortly after his acceptance working for the neo-Nazi “European Ac- he had cancelled the commitment. tion” of Holocaust denier Bernhard Schaub.

Individual case 17 April 2015: The FPÖ regional party chairman for Vorarlberg, Dieter Egger, created an uproar Individual case 21 The FPÖ city party chairman of Eisen- with an anti-Semitic statement: It should stadt, Géza Molnár, is insulting the ÖVP be clear to the director of the Jewish Mu- because of a Public Viewing for the Euro- seum in Hohenems, Hanno Loewy, “that visions Song Contest by stating that the decisions are made in the town hall and not party would have a “degenerate soul“, be- in the Jewish quarter”. cause it is making “a penetrating parade of queers to a major event in the city of Individual case 18 Haydn“. During its city council elections, the FPÖ Heidenreichstein is agitating against asy- lum seekers, claiming that they had “abused a prostitute” so that she had to be “brought to the hospital”. According to the county police commander, this claim is “simply wrong”.

17 May 2015: Individual case 22 July 2015: The FPÖ municipal councilor Gerald - Individual case 26 Hraball from Gloggnitz insulted refu The FPÖ delegate to the county parlia- - gees on Facebook by calling them “hu ment of Tyrol, Hildegard Schwaiger, is - man material”, which would be “com forced to resign when it gets known to pletely useless and problematic for the public that she is the administrator of - Europe”. The provincial party secre the racist Facebook-Group “Stop the asy- - tary of the FPÖ Lower Austria, Chris lum flood - also in Tyrol”. tian Hafenecker, first did not want to see this as a Nazi phrase. But shortly after that Hraball left the party. August 2015: Individual case 27 June 2015: The FPÖ municipal councillor, Markus Individual case 23 Ripfl, from Orth an der Donau is insulting the SPÖ, ÖVP and the Green Party The FPÖ deputy district leader of Vien- on Facebook as being a “trio of betrayers na-Ottakring, Christian Hein, is thanking of the nation“. In the Nazi era, the term the violent neo Nazi gang “Unsterblich” „betrayer of the nation“ (Volksverräter) on Facebook for having supported his was used for enemies of the regime. Ripfl soccer team. had already attracted attention by using right-wing extremist symbols, such as the Individual case 24 Kühnen salute (a variation of the Hitler The FPÖ federal party chairman salute) and the Celtic cross. Heinz-Christian Strache uses the amok drive in Graz of a mentally ill person for agitation: “The perpetrator is from Bos- Individual case 28 Secretary General of the FPÖ, Herbert nia. A religiously motivated attack cannot Kickl, criticised the European Conven- be excluded.” This attempt to use a per- tion on Human Rights, and stated that it son’s afflictions to score political points would create a “gateway for illegal mass sparked several outraged reactions. immigration” and should be changed or replaced for that reason. Minister of Jus- Individual case 25 tice, Wolfgang Brandstetter, replied that The Ring of Freedom Youth (the youth whoever questions the European Con- wing of the FPÖ) Burgenland is organis- vention on Human Rights is acting out- ing an event together with the extreme side the constitutional arch and would be right “Identitarians” in Eisenstadt. The a “gravedigger of the Western World”. federal state chairman of the Freedom Youth, Werner Wassicek, emphasises that he is looking forward to invite “the ‘Identitarians’ to a red-blue Burgenland”.

18 October 2015: September 2015: Individual case 32 Individual case 29 The chairwoman of the FPÖ parliamen- The FPÖ local party chairman from tary group Sabina Kracher is writing on Lambach, Johann Gibitz, explained Facebook about refugees: “To many par- that he is about to boycott the prod- asites are actually killing the host!” Even - ucts of an Upper Austrian food pro though city party chairman of the FPÖ, ducer, because the wife of the man- Wolfgang Mayer, has no problems with ager is giving free German lectures this comparison, Kracher resigns a few to refugees. days later.

Individual case 30 Individual case 33 FPÖ member of the national parliament FPÖ municipal councillor candidate Susanne Winter likes an anti-Semitic Ralph Schäfer from Wels gets known to posting on Facebook, which is directed the public as the founder of a “vigilant against „rich Zionist Jews“. With public group”. With this self-declared “vigilant criticism getting stronger and stronger, group”, he would like to combat “burglar the FPÖ excludes Winter from its party. gangs from abroad”. It also gets known to Nevertheless, she remains in the Nation- the public that Schäfer glorified Hitler’s al Council. deputy Rudolf Heß as “martyr” and thus had to stand trial because of National So- cialist reactivation. The process ended in an alternative measure. November 2015: Individual case 34 Individual case 31 The FPÖ substitution municipal On the FPÖ affiliated website „unzen- councilor Michael Grünwald from suriert.at“, an anonymous neo Nazi is Feldkirchen an der Donau wrote on insulting the director of the Jewish Mu- Facebook: “Fat wedding of Turks in seum Vienna, Danielle Spera, and the Au an der Donau! Who will bring historian Oliver Rathkolb with the Nazi a little car bomb?” The FPÖ substi- term “Volksschädlinge” (parasites to the tution municipal councilor Martin nation). The website operators do not Hartl likes the posting. After public even remove this posting after the Aus- criticism by the SPÖ mayor, Grün- trian daily newspaper “Kurier” reported wald and Hartl resign. about it.

19 Individual case 38 - The liberal third president of the pro vincial assembly of Styria, Gerhard Individual case 35 Kurzmann, participated at an anti-refugees demonstration of the ex- The FPÖ local party chairman treme right-wing “identitarians” in from Taxenbach, Bernd Buchner, Graz. Immediately after the demon- insulted the constitutional state stration “identitarians” attacked on Facebook, because it is prevent- counter-demonstrators. ing a mentally ill amok driver from killing himself. “So, give him the Individual case 39 desired string…” When this became The FPÖ municipal councilor from public knowledge, the FPÖ provin- - Linz, Susanne Walcher, accused young- cial party chairman Andreas Schöp Muslims on Facebook of having a ten pl defended his friend from the par- dency to child abuse, and her group ty for his “unfortunate wording”. colleague Markus Krazl accused them- of having a tendency to sex with ani Individual case 36 mals. The parties SPÖ, ÖVP and Grüne- The FPÖ city party chairman from condemned the incitement propagan Graz, Mario Eustacchio, participated da. After a few days, Krazl resigned “for at a demonstration against refugees professional and familiar reasons”. from the extreme right-wing “iden- Walcher remained in the municipal titarians” in Spielfeld. Also, neo- council. Nazis known to the authorities were among the protesters. February 2016: Individual case 40 FPÖ member of the national parliament Wolfgang Zanger is one of the speakers January 2016: at a demonstration against refugees of Individual case 37 the extreme right-wing “Identitarians” in FPÖ member of parliament Gerhard- Judenburg. Deimek disseminated racist incite ment propaganda together with his Individual case 41 approving comment on the internet,- FPÖ treasurer from Zams, Patrick Ober- including the insult of calling Mus prantacher, is attaching a quote to a lim immigrants “permanently horny picture of his federal party chairman barbarians.” Heinz-Christian Strache, which was used by the Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels: “Now, people rise up, and let the storm break loose!”

20 April 2016: existence of the EP parliamentary group “Europe of Nations and Freedom” (of Individual case 42 which the FPÖ is a part, together with the The FPÖ municipal councillor Markus other parties) as an occasion. Ripfl from Orth an der Donau, who is also the chairman of the FPÖ student ring at the University of Vienna and Member of the extreme right student fraternity “Olympia”, is the person responsible for the invitation of Hungarian neo Na- August 2016: zis. The event of the “Olympia” is called Individual case 46 “Revolution in Hungary – a role model FPÖ municipal councilor Wolfgang for Austria?” Zistler from Schwechat wrote on Facebook that for him it is “an hon- Individual case 43 or to be also called Nazi.” With this he referred to an accusation against The Viennese FPÖ city councillor Anton the FPÖ presidential candidate Mahdalik equates the followers of his Norbert Hofer. In addition, Zistler party to the persecuted and victims of the demanded that a judge who decided Nazi regime. against Hofer shall “immediately be removed from her position.” June 2016: Individual case 44 The FPÖ Vienna refuses to name a school September 2016: after the Nazi victim Friedrich Zawrel. As a child, Zawrel had survived the killing Individual case 47 machinery of the Nazis in the euthanasia Elmar Podgorschek, FPÖ member of the institution “Am Spiegelgrund”. Munic- Upper Austrian country council, agitates ipal councillor Dietrich Kops and FPÖ on Facebook against refugees. Among municipal councillor Werner Grebner others, he claims that the country‘s crime are insulting the deceased by calling him rate is exploding. The police disagrees: the a “criminal”. number of crimes had declined. Podgor- schek does not want to accept this fact Individual case 45 and states that in his view “civil war is pre-programmed”. With the motto “Patriotic Spring”, the FPÖ invites representatives of several extreme right-wing parties from other countries of the EU – among them Ma- rine Le Pen from the French Front Na- tional – into the FPÖ’s parliamentary club, taking the 1st anniversary of the

21 October 2016: December 2016: Individual case 48 Individual case 51 At a folk festival, municipal councillor An FPÖ delegation travels to Moscow to Andreas Lehner from Kremsmünster, conclude a “working agreement” with the insults the owner of a kebab stand in a party of Russian President Vladimir Pu- racist way and smashes a window of the tin. The delegation includes among others booth. Afterwards, he hurts an interven- FPÖ federal party chairman Heinz-Chris- ing police officer. When this gets known tian Strache, the third president of the Na- to the public, Lehner resigns and makes tional Council Norbert Hofer, the deputy his FPÖ membership dormant. Later, he federal party chairman of the FPÖ Johann was sentenced to a conditional imprison- Gudenus and Stefan Magnet. In the past, ment of six months. Magnet was an activist of the extreme right-wing “Bund Freier Jugend” (Associ- ation of Freedomite Youth). Individual case 49 FPÖ Secretary General Herbert Kickl January 2017: speaks at the extreme right-wing con- Individual case 52 gress “Defenders of Europe” in Linz, FPÖ municipal councillor Andreas Freis which is target of broad international pro- from Aschach an der Steyr is insulting tests. Organisers of the congress are the on Facebook the new Federal President extreme right-wing fraternity “Arminia Alexander Van der Bellen and his wife in Czernowitz”, whose most prominent an extremely aggressive manner. With re- members are the deputy major of Linz gards to the Green Party, Freis writes that from the FPÖ party, and Detlef Wimmer, he would have loved to “strangle those id- the FPÖ party leader of the city. iots”. He suggests that a female journalist should be raped. When this gets known to the public, Freis resigns and makes his November 2016: FPÖ membership dormant. Individual case 50 Manfred Haimbuchner, the FPÖ deputy March 2017: federal state chairman of Upper Aus- Individual case 53 tria, honours the NSDAP politician and FPÖ member of the national parliament SS brigade leader Anton Reinthaller in Roman Haider enforces the termination a speech. In 1950, Reinthaller was sen- of a lecture given by the extremism expert tenced to three years imprisonment for Thomas Rammerstorfer at a secondary hightreason, and in 1956, he became the school in Linz, of which also Haider‘s son is first federal party chairman of the FPÖ. a student. Rammerstorfer had mentioned the FPÖ in the context of right-wing fraternities. The director of the school re-

22 ports of massive threats by the liberal politician. Later on, the Province School Board May 2017: comes to the conclusion that the termina- Individual case 57 tion was actually not admissible. The FPÖ Lower Austria accused the ÖVP in a mailing of “blood disgrace”. Individual case 54 In the time of the Nazis, the term “blood disgrace” was also used with The FPÖ Upper Austria has set up a “re- the same meaning as “race disgrace”. porting office” on its website: It calls As a protest, the SPÖ moved out upon students to denounce teachers who of the provincial assembly, and the express themselves critically about the Grüne party also protested. FPÖ. April 2017: Individual case 55 Franz Schardinger, member of the FPÖ June 2017: district party leadership of Imst, congratu- Individual case 58 lates Adolf Hitler on his birthday: “Happy FPÖ federal party chief Heinz-Christian Birthday, Adolf!” After the Green Member Strache calls for a restriction of human of the national parliament, Harald Wal- rights in order to combat terror effective- ser, informed the public about it, the FPÖ ly. Strache refers to a statement by con- excluded Schardinger. How the people servative British Prime Minister Theresa inside the party are really thinking about May. this matter, has been revealed by Anne- liese K. on Facebook: “Franz we accept July 2017: and we love you, FPÖ Imst...” Franz Schar- Individual case 59 dinger has already attracted attention by It gets known to the public that FPÖ posting torture and murder fantasies. member of the national parliament Jo- hannes Hübner gave a speech at the 2016 Individual case 56 annual convention of the extreme right- The FPÖ city councillor of Linz, Markus wing “Gesellschaft für Freie Publizistik” Hein, announced a new edition of the ex- (Society for Open Journalism). Hübner, treme right-wing congress “Defenders of who is also the foreign policy spokesman Europe” at the end of September in the of his party, said about the creator of the Redoutensäle in Linz. Like his city party Austrian constitution: “Hans Kelsen - ac- chairman Detlef Wimmer, Hein is also a tually Hans Kohn, but he called himself member of the extreme right-wing fra- Kelsen.” This anti-Semitic reference goes ternity “Arminia Czernowitz”. Later, the back to the leading Nazi legal practition- Congress will be postponed to March er Carl Schmitt. After massive protests, 2018, probably due to the National Elec- Hübner declined another candidature. tions in October.

23 August 2017: September 2017: Individual case 60 Individual case 63 The media is reporting all over Austria On Facebook, the FPÖ Vomp publishes that in 2016, FPÖ municipal councillor a list of elementary school children with candidate Manfred Sedovnik from St. An- foreign-sounding names. After outraged drä am Zicksee had been sentenced to pay reactions, the Tyrolean FPÖ regional par- a fine of 4500 Euro because of National ty chairman Markus Abwerzger explains Socialist reactivation. He had demanded that the posting had been cancelled. How- on Facebook to reopen the concentration ever, Abwerzger uses the word “scandal” camp Mauthausen and to send the then with reference to the high proportion Federal President Heinz Fischer there. of migrants in some school classes, and Sedovnik also became conspicuous by not to the fact that his party is pillorying posting murder fantasies. children.

Individual case 61 Individual case 64 The Ring of Freedom Youth (the youth Federal party chairman of the FPÖ, wing of the FPÖ) Carinthia is protesting Heinz-Christian Strache, is disseminat- against the newly elected “Mister Carin- ing a video on Facebook that shows sev- thia”, explicitly because of his origin and eral children from a migrant background appearance. The background of the racist together with their parents in front of an attack: Parsa Djawadiraad is an Austrian elementary school, without pixelated fac- citizen and completely integrated, but es. He is commenting it with “Typical!”. comes originally from Iran. Thus, he is also stirring up public opinion against children because of their origin. Individual case 62 It becomes publicly known that FPÖ Individual case 65 municipal councillor candidate Walter The human rights organisation “SOS Wolfgang from Bruckneudorf has also Mitmensch” criticises that the FPÖ con- been active in the neo-Nazi splinter tinuously supports the FPÖ affiliated group “People’s Party”. On Facebook, he magazine “Aula” with large advertise- had called for the “unification” of Aus- ments. Among others, they placed adver- tria with Germany and disseminated an tisements with federal party chairman image of an SS soldier together with the Heinz-Christian Strache and the regional saying “Our grandfathers were no crimi- party chairman for Upper Austria, Man- nals!”. The FPÖ deputy federal state chair- fred Haimbuchner. At the same time, man of Burgenland, Johann Tschürtz, the “Aula” repeatedly contains extreme commented these activities of the FPÖ right-wing, racist and antisemitic articles. politician: “As long as he does not have a The FPÖ affiliated magazine insulted for criminal conviction, I don’t care.” example survivors of the Mauthausen

24 concentration camp as “menace” and on Human Rights”. However, his attempt “criminals” – which it had to revoke after to discredit the European Convention on a court ruling in April 2017. The “Aula” Human Rights is failing quickly: all sur- also expresses sympathy for the German veyed experts on international law point neo-Nazi party NPD. The NPD politician out that the Convention is clearly ban- Karl Richter was even allowed to write for ning the death penalty in its additional the “Aula” an article with the insinuation: protocols. what the Jews want is “surreptitiously ob- taining sovereignty”. Individual case 68 Martin Hochstöger, member of the FPÖ Tyrolean Party Committee, has put up a Individual case 66 plaque in a room behind his pharmacy, It becomes publicly known that FPÖ- which commemorates the “Return of the municipal councillor candidate Frie Ostmark into the Reich”. Moreover, in drich Ugrinovits from Draßburg is a showcase he exhibited an SS skull and since decades engaging in extreme other National Socialist devotional ob- right-wing and antisemitc activities. jects. After this becomes publicly known, Among others, he insulted research- Hochstöger steps down from his posi- es who wanted to visit the Jewish tion in the Party Committee. The Public Museum Eisenstadt with the term Attorney’s Office Innsbruck is investigat- “Saujuden” (pig-Jews). Two times he ing the matter. Hochstöger gets expelled was found guilty of incitement, most from the FPÖ. recently in 2013 with a conditional detention order for ten months. In the FPÖ, everybody claims to not have had any knowledge of these long-standing activities of the municipal councillor candidate – among them the local section chairman from Draßburg, René Tschögl.

Individual case 67 The third president of the National Council Norbert Hofer from the FPÖ claims that the European Convention on Nothing but Human Rights allows the implementa- tion of the death penalty. Thus, it would individual cases? need to be evaluated and, if necessary, to be replaced by an “Austrian Convention

25 Acknowledgement

The Austrian Mauthausen Committee would like to thank several personalities and institutions for their intensive support with the research for this information leaflet, especially the Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance (DÖW) and the Upper Austrian Network against Racism and Right-Wing Extremism.

Editorial deadline: 10st of June 2018

IMPRINT: Media owner: Austrian Mauthausen Committee, 1020 Vienna Homepage: www.mkoe.at, e-mail: [email protected] ZVR: 545896703 For further information according to § 5 E-Commerce-Act (ECG) see the General Terms and Conditions. Produced by: ÖGB publishing house, Johann-Böhm-Platz 1, 1020 Vienna The Mauthausen Comitee Austria works everyday for a „Never again“. Your contribution will make an immediate and direct impact:

BAWAG “Mauthausen Committee Austria” IBAN: AT62 1400 0100 1067 4528 BIC: BAWAATWW Just before the Austrian parliamentary elections in October 2017, the Mauthausen Committee Austria presented a total of 68 extreme right- wing activities of FPÖ politicians covering a period of about four and a half years. The documentation “Nothing but individual cases?” received a strong media response and led to a wide debate. Since then, the term “individual cases” has become commonplace for describing the continuous anti- democratic activities of the FPÖ.

The new individual cases provide a clear answer to these questions.