Set an example now!

70 years of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp

Rally at Heldenplatz , January 27, 2015

Set an example now! is a platform founded in 2011 that connects more than 50 Austrian organizations and groups from civil society as well as parties that organize memorial days for the victims of National Socialism under this motto and appear in public with protest rallies and other actions against racism , anti-Semitism and right-wing extremism .

The platform is organized by Nikolaus Kunrath .

Carrier of the platform

The most important sponsors of the network platform include the ÖGB , the Austrian Union Youth and the Austrian Students' Union , the parties SPÖ , Die Grünen and KPÖ as well as the three denominations of Catholics , Evangelicals and Israelites , the Mauthausen Committee Austria and the camp communities of the Auschwitz , Buchenwald and concentration camps Ravensbrück . In addition, a number of organizations and associations of Austrian civil society belong to the platform :

Asylum in need
Action against anti-Semitism in Austria
Political Enlightenment Society
Graz authors' meeting of authors
Hemayat
IG authors authors
Integration House Vienna
Cultural Association of Austrian Roma and Sinti
Concentration Camp Association (VdA)

Literaturhaus Vienna

Austrian League for Human Rights

Austrian PEN Club

Scouts and Girl Scouts of Austria

Republican Club - New Austria

Resistance for Peace

SOS human rights

SOS fellow human

University of Vienna (Protestant and Catholic Faculty)

Association memorial service

Civil courage and anti-racism work (ZARA)

The main organizers were also able to motivate a number of their sub- and preliminary organizations to support the platform, for example on the social democratic side the SPÖ Vienna , the SPÖ education and the SPÖ women , the youth, school and student organizations AKS , SJÖ , JG , FSG Jugend and VSStÖ , also ASKÖ Wien , BSA and Volkshilfe Wien , the Bund Sozialistischer Freiheitkampf ( Bund Socialist Freedom Fighters) and the Bund Sozialdemokratischer Juden (Avodah) and SoHo . On the part of the Greens, supporters also included the provincial organizations of Vienna and Lower Austria, the Green Alternative Youth and the GRAS as well as the Green Women Vienna and the Greens "Generation Plus" (formerly Green Seniors). In addition to the KPÖ, the trade union left bloc in the ÖGB, along with the Catholic Action, also the Catholic Youth Austria and the ecumenically oriented organization Pax Christi Austria, on the Jewish side also Misrachi Austria and the ZPC lodge of the B'nai B'rith as well as the socialist-Zionist youth organization Hashomer Hatzair .

Other sponsors are the Fibel and MoRaH Austria association, the Liberal Muslim Initiative (ILMÖ) and the Muslim Austrian Initiative (IMÖ), the racism-free zones Vienna- Leopoldstadt and Transdanubia as well as a number of other organizations against anti-Semitism , right-wing extremism and racism or for the Christian-Jewish dialogue or the integration of migrants , Martin Jäggle and Doron Rabinovici and, for the first time, the Federal Youth Council in 2015 .

history

Demonstration 2012

Triggering the founding of the networking platform Set an example now! were the events on May 8, 2011. The Vienna Corporationsring (WKR) held a memorial on the anniversary of the unconditional surrender of Hitler Germany on Heldenplatz. On January 27, 2012, the WKR Ball was held in the Vienna Hofburg . January 27th is the day of the return of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp . For decades, the WKR ball was a meeting place for right-wing and right-wing extremist politicians from all over Europe; including some who at least put the Holocaust into perspective. The organizers justified themselves by saying that the ball traditionally takes place on the last Friday in January. Set an example now! proclaimed a week of commemoration and action before the ball evening with the following reason:

“Right-wing extremist associations are trying to establish themselves in the middle of our society. The WKR ball, sponsored by right-wing extremist organizations, is to take place in the representative premises of the Hofburg. And that on the day of Auschwitz's liberation, of all places. We find that unbearable. "

- Set an example now! : Call text for the commemoration and action week 2012

The WKR ball took place for the last time in 2012 - with Marine Le Pen as guest of honor. The operating company of the Hofburg had terminated the contract. The Wiener Ball institution also lost its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the guests at the WKR Ball . However, the platform did not dissolve, but has since concentrated on the alignment of a worthy commemoration of the victims of National Socialism on January 27th as well as on counter-events to other events of the Vienna Corporationsring .

In addition, the platform participates - together with the NOWKR initiative and the offensive against the law - in the protest rallies against the Vienna Academic Ball , which has been organized by the FPÖ Vienna since 2013 as an unofficial follow-up event to the WKR ball.

Holocaust memorial on Heldenplatz

Holocaust Remembrance Day 2012

Play media file

Dora Schimanko and Hans-Henning Scharsach speak at Heldenplatz , January 27, 2012

The most important rally of the platform is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and takes place every year on January 27th, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust , on Heldenplatz in Vienna .

2012

The platform's first rally on the evening of January 27, 2012, was held under the motto “Get the extreme right out of step!” It was supported by more than 50 clubs and organizations and was able to gather several thousand participants. According to the police, 2,500 participants were at Heldenplatz , according to information from Vorarlberg-Online, however, 6,000. The Holocaust survivor Dora Schimanko , the author Hans-Henning Scharsach and the Green politician Alev Korun spoke . The accompanying music program denied u. a. Clara Luzia , Christoph & Lollo , Kommando Elefant and Maur Due & Lichter . This event was also directed against the event of the WKR Ball in the Hofburg, which was held for the last time that evening.

In the days before, there was a dense supporting program in the form of a week of commemoration and action against racism, anti-Semitism and right-wing extremism with numerous discussion events, book and film presentations, anti-fascist walks, an online demo and a women's brunch, organized by the platform's supporting organizations. On the occasion of a wreath-laying ceremony - also on Heldenplatz - at 1 p.m. on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the concentration camp survivor Rudolf Gelbard , the Greens chairwoman Eva Glawischnig and the IKG president Ariel Muzicant spoke .

2013

Due to the high popularity of the first Heldenplatz memorial event on Holocaust Remembrance Day 2012, a tradition of this event quickly developed, which is supported by a broad spectrum of civil society. In 2013, the concentration camp survivor and resistance fighter Käthe Sasso , the President of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Vienna Oskar Deutsch and the chairman of the Mauthausen Committee Austria Willi Mernyi , the Vice Mayor of Vienna, Renate Brauner (SPÖ), and Maria Vassilakou (Greens), the superintendent of the Evangelical Methodist Church, Helmut Nausner , and Rodaina El Batnigi , spokeswoman for the Federal Youth Council . Katharina Stemberger moderated , the ensemble Scholem Alejchem and Isaac Loberan performed with ensemble.

2014

At the commemorative event in 2014, which in turn now set an example! the contemporary witness Miriam Auerbach and the Holocaust survivor Rudolf Sarközi , the politicians David Ellensohn (Greens), Manfred Juraczka (ÖVP) and Andreas Mailath-Pokorny (SPÖ), again Oskar Deutsch, and Laura Schoch , the chairwoman of the Federal Youth Council , spoke . Her speech was entitled: Whoever is silent, agrees! Referring to the anti-academics ball demo three days earlier, she said:

“Last Friday, as a young person from today, I took with me an exclamation from a boy from yesterday, from Rudi Gelbard , a survivor from Theresienstadt , who sums up our task: 'No pasaran! We won't let them through! ' and I would like to add that - not last week, not today and on no other day. "

- Laura Schoch : On the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, speech on Heldenplatz in Vienna, January 27, 2014.

The subsequent prayer for the dead was said by Chief Rabbi Paul Chaim Eisenberg , it was moderated by Katharina Stemberger , Sabine Zeller was the sign language interpreter , and the Vienna Jewish Choir provided musical accompaniment; the Samariterbund Vienna provided hot tea.

2015

This year's rally was dedicated to the anniversary of “70 years of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp” and mobilized significantly more participants than in the previous two years. The resistance fighter Irma Schwager (honorary chairwoman of the KPÖ), the President of the International Council of Christians and Jews , Olivia Kaiser-Dolidze from the Memorial Service Association , Waltraud Barton from the IM-MER Association, Raimund Fastenbauer from the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde and the Viennese state politician Manfred Juraczka spoke (People's Party), Maria Vassilakou (The Greens) and Michael Häupl (SPÖ). Again Katharina Stemberger moderated , Sabine Zeller was the sign language interpreter , and the choir association Gegenstimmen sang .

More rallies

"Take your day off on May 8th!"

In 2012, the activities of the platform around May 8th, the day of the unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht , were still under the sign of resistance against the commemoration of the dead by the Vienna Corporations Ring , which took place on Heldenplatz in Vienna . This is where the platform commemorated the victims of the National Socialist crime regime from 5 p.m. and celebrated “the victory over National Socialism”. The speakers included the politicians David Ellensohn and Andreas Mailath-Pokorny , the historian Heidemarie Uhl , the President of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Vienna Oskar Deutsch , the author Corinna Milborn and Richard Wadani , the honorary chairman of the Committee on Justice for Victims of Nazi Military Justice . Stelzhamma and Krankypanky provided the musical accompaniment . This gave birth to the idea for the Festival of Joy , which the Republic of Austria has been organizing on this commemoration day since 2013.

In 2012 there were also other supporting events, such as a commemoration of the victims of the Nazi atrocities at Morzinplatz , jointly organized by the Israelitischer Kulturgemeinde and the Greens, or the anti-fascist walk organized by the Department for Human Rights and Social Policy of the ÖH. Also in 2013 - now as a supporting program for the Festival of Joy - there were numerous events of the platform, including a. a reading by Karl Pfeifer and a book presentation by Hans-Henning Scharsach , as well as rallies on Morzinplatz, at the memorial for the victims of fascism on Reumannplatz and at the designated place for the memorial for those persecuted by the Nazi military justice on Ballhausplatz. The slogan was coined for motivation: "Take your day off, May 8th!"

Academic Ball Demonstrations

Kommando Elefant plays at the rally against the Akademikerball, Heldenplatz 2015

In 2013, the platform organized a demonstration at Heldenplatz against the first Vienna Academic Ball, which was launched by the FPÖ Vienna as a follow-up event to the WKR Ball.

Now , published in 2014, set an example! An open letter from concentration camp survivors in the run-up to the Vienna Academics Ball organized by the FPÖ. In it, the undersigned asked those responsible not to make the Vienna Hofburg available for the ball. The letter was addressed to the Wiener Kongresszentrum Hofburg Betriebsgesellschaft GmbH and its shareholders, to Federal President Heinz Fischer , Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann , Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger and Minister of Economics Reinhold Mitterlehner . Among other things, they wrote: "When will you finally say clearly: The premises of our republic are not available for events and networking activities of right-wing extremist associations!" The demonstration against the ball in January 2014 was canceled by the platform, as the police made the Heldenplatz a restricted area declared and the organizers refused the offered meeting places "because of safety concerns". But then there were demonstrations with 6,000 to 12,000 participants in downtown Vienna, organized by the NOWKR initiative and the offensive against the right .

In 2015 the Heldenplatz stood again for a rally by Jetzt! to disposal. Speakers included the concentration camp survivor Rudolf Gelbard and the emigrant Dora Schimanko , it played Kommando Elefant , Yasmo and Harri Stojka .

Walk of Shame

After the FPÖ Vienna succeeded in 2013 in occupying the date in the ball calendar of the Vienna Hofburg that had become free due to the prevention of the WKR ball , the protest of the platform was directed primarily against the sponsors of the operating company of the Hofburg. These include Columbus Reisen GmbH, Gerstner Imperial Hospitality Group , Eduard Sacher GmbH and Wertinvest Hotelbetriebs GmbH . Therefore, the Walk of Shame was held at the end of 2013 / beginning of 2014 - demonstrations that began on December 30, 2013 in front of the Hotel Sacher and ended on January 16, 2014 in front of the Intercontinental Vienna .

Places of enlightenment

When, on June 4, 2014, the striking connections of the Vienna Corporationsring marched through downtown Vienna to “commemorate the revolution of 1848”, the platform violently opposed historical revisionism and declared three Viennese squares “places of enlightenment” to whom the platform sought to convey history in word, writing and pictures:

Morzinplatz : The "Hotel Métropole, which was made into a central location for the organization of the persecution in the course of the Nazi terror in Vienna in 1938 by the Gestapo once stood at this place."
Stephansplatz : “In the spring of 1848 the so-called 'Slavic Barricade' was erected on Stephansplatz and Vienna's inner city became a central location for the revolution. Despite the initial successes, democratic aspirations were put down [...] "
Monument of the Republic : “The Monument of the Republic was unveiled on November 12, 1928 - on the tenth anniversary of the proclamation of the democratic republic. During this time, German-national fraternities that explicitly appeared as swastika activists and National Socialists were already contributing to radicalization and militant anti-Semitism. "

Overall, the platform strongly criticized that the fraternity members tried to "cover up their role and responsibility on Austria's path to National Socialism."

“We cannot and will not forget the role that the German-national fraternities played from the end of the 19th century to contemporary history: sexism, racism and anti-Semitism shape their actions. Many of them became actors in the National Socialist regime. A credible and complete demarcation from National Socialism is not possible in view of the content, personnel and institutional overlaps. "

- Set an example now!

Web links

Commons : Make your mark now! - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Set an example now!

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Milena Borovska: Taking a stand against right-wing extremism , Die Presse, print edition, January 18, 2012, online January 17, 2012

↑ The website of the platform lists exactly which organization co-organized or supported which event.

↑ Judith Goetz : Punched! A critical assessment of the protests against the WKR ball. In: right-wing extremism. Developments and Analyzes - Volume 1. Ed. By the research group Ideologies and Policies of Inequality (Vienna), Mandelbaum 2014, page 208.

↑ Most controversial ball in Austria. In: Salzburger Nachrichten . January 26, 2012.

↑ David Albrich: WKR-Ball: Strache rages after defeat! , Left turn, January 30, 2012.

↑ Die Presse : Taking a stand against right-wing extremism ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2 archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , January 18, 2012.

^ Vorarlberg-Online: WKR-Ball: The Anti-Ball-Demos from the Police Point of View , January 28, 2012.

↑ Remembrance and action week against racism, anti-Semitism and right-wing extremism , accessed on January 11, 2015.

↑ Holocaust Remembrance Day 2012 “Set the tone now!” , Accessed on January 11, 2015.

↑ Kronen Zeitung : Hundreds of people celebrate Holocaust Remembrance Day in Vienna , January 27, 2014.

↑ Cultural Broadcasting Archive : Holocaust Remembrance Day in Vienna: Commemorative event of the alliance “Set Signs Now” on Heldenplatz , January 27, 2013.