2023-09-08 19:25:00
DISPATCH — In Austria, guided tours allow you to get a glimpse of the famous balcony of the Imperial Palace in Vienna, from where Adolf Hitler celebrated the Anschluss of his native country. The idea would be to respond to “society’s curiosity” and to “dissipate the aura” of the place, which remains like an open wound for many Austrians.
Eighty-five years after the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in March 1938, the House of Austrian History (HDGÖ) is organizing a series of sessions to “dispel the aura” surrounding this vast terrace flanked by neoclassical columns.
As reported by AFP, the institution made this decision after the appearance of the monument in a controversial videorecently broadcast by young people who support the right-wing FPÖ party.
“We noticed a need, a curiosity in society,” museum director Monika Sommer told AFP, welcoming the “strong interest” aroused by this initiative.
Among the 35 participants in the first visit on Thursday, Regina Steiner, a 59-year-old teacher, confirms the importance of “making young people more aware” of the fact that “terrible events have occurred in Austria” and that history can “unfortunately to repeat”. Markus Mitterhuber, a 56-year-old theater actor, calls for an open discussion, “without taboos”.
Both were disappointed not to be able to visit the balcony, still closed to visits for security reasons. “We should dare to approach this place differently. Make it accessible to the public, for example in the form of visits, which could contribute to its desecration,” adds Ms. Sommer.
The House of History has been advocating for years for an opening of the terrace, and launched a competition for ideas in 2019.
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