1939: The National Socialist “Anschluss Monument” in Oberschützen

Following the “Anschluss” (“annexation”) of Austria into the National Socialist German Reich, a monument with the inscription “One People – One Empire – One Führer” (“Ein Volk – Ein Reich – Ein Führer”) was built on the initiative of local Nazis in Oberschützen, Burgenland (in today's South-Eastern Austria) with the help of the local population. High-ranking Nazis were present when it was festively inaugurated in May 1939. The large temple-like structure with pillared arcades is eight metres high and twelve metres wide, and is considered unique and the biggest Nazi monument in Austria. After the collapse of Nazi rule, parts of the monument (inscription, fire cauldrons, gilded eagle) were removed or destroyed. There was continuous discussion of demolishing the monument, but it never happened (inter alia due to complicated ownership conditions). Although the structure was used in different ways in the following years (camp fires, summer solstice bonfires, nude photo shoots, etc.), the question of how to deal with its connection to the violent history of National Socialism remained taboo. In particular, artists from the area kept trying to counteract the structure’s history as they called for a public discussion of the monument.  

After a long struggle, the monument was repurposed in 1997 as a memorial against violence and racism, and included the addition of a small plaque that explained its new meaning. A comprehensive academic publication on the monument was published for the first time in 1998: Wolfgang Krug’s Last der Erinnerung. NS-Denkmalskult am Beispiel Oberschützen (The Burden of Memory: The Nazi Cult of the Monument Using the Example of Oberschützen).

However, handling of the “Anschluss Monument” remained contested; discussions  were rare and often turned out to be very emotionally charged. The Oberschützen community finally faced the accusation that it was politically ignoring the monument and not dealing with its own history on several levels: in 2016 it became possible to lease the parcels of land on which the “Anschluss Monument” sits for 30 years. That same year, the structure was classified as a historical monument, and in 2018/19 it was rehabilitated in cooperation with the Federal Monuments Office. In 2018 mayor Hans Unger also set up a monuments working group.

A comprehensive project has developed out of that working group, and should be realised in the coming years. It argues that the “Anschluss Monument” is an indelible part of the cultural heritage of the region, just as the history of National Socialism is a part of the region’s history. Whether people have distanced themselves from it or used it as an expression of nostalgic sentiment towards German Nationalism, the monument has shaped the identity of the region and its population. Due to its location on a hill, the structure is visible from a distance, and is known nationwide. In the course of the planned project, a key objective is to make visible the monument’s absent reference to its history. The project thus also aims to engage the population and raise awareness of the contradictions of cultural heritage in the region. The inclusion of the local population is intended to make this “legacy that leaves a mark” sustainable despite or precisely because of its Nazi past. In the course of this project, academically-based information will be made accessible to the public in various ways (at the monument itself, online, through educational materials, informational brochures, etc.).

Website of the local municipality