Sea of ​​lights

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The sea of lights on 23 January 1993 was one of the NGO SOS fellow initiated and of various civil society, political and religious organizations in Austria supported demonstration against xenophobia and intolerance. The central event with up to 300,000 participants - the largest demonstration in Austria to date - took place in Vienna ; there were further demonstrations in cities such as Graz , Linz , Innsbruck and Salzburg .

prehistory

The “sea of ​​lights” was in particular a counter-reaction to the popular initiative called “ Austria first ” by the FPÖ under Jörg Haider , which was open for signature from January 25th to February 1st, 1993. This plebiscite, often referred to by critics as an “anti-foreigner” referendum, marked the party's shift to the right, with which dealing with foreigners in general and immigrants in particular became the central issue of public relations and politics of the FPÖ Separation of the liberal wing led by Heide Schmidt (foundation of the Liberal Forum on February 4, 1993 by five former FPÖ members of the National Council).

SOS Mitmensch was founded in December 1992 as a platform for civil society groups. This was preceded by meetings between the writer Josef Haslinger and the musician Willi Resetarits (the first two chairmen) in André Heller's house . During the following meetings with other protagonists such as Isolde Charim , Michael Genner , Horst Horvath , Herbert Langthaler , Peter Pilz , Nikolaus Kunrath , Nora Scheidl , Martin Schenk , Willi Stelzhammer and Helmut Schüller, among others at Friedrun and Peter Huemer , it was considered how to do this could counter the increasing emergence of resentment and hostility towards foreigners and immigrants (Haslinger: “The country was really ripe for someone to finally confront this madness”). So the plan matured for an event that, according to Heller, “is impressive and sustainable. We were of the opinion that we have to do something that is so impressive for all media and gives such great pictures that it might really show an influence on the thinking of some people. "

The founding of SOS Mitmensch and the call to the "Sea of ​​Lights" were supported by representatives of refugee aid organizations, the Austrian student body , the trade unions and religious associations as well as on the political side by Rudolf Scholten (Federal Minister for Education and Art, SPÖ ) and other social democrats, Greens , liberals, communists and individual representatives of the ÖVP . The organizers rejected the support of Franz Löschnak (Minister of the Interior, SPÖ) and Haider's participation, which was seen as an attempt to take possession. Other contemporary historical context were the controversies surrounding the federal presidency of Kurt Waldheim (1986-1992) and the preliminary negotiations for Austria's EU accession  in 1995. The demonstration in the form of a "lights Sea" followed the lines of lights in 1992/93 in Germany, a response to Attacks by right-wing extremists on asylum seekers' homes such as the riots in Rostock-Lichtenhagen and the Mölln murder .

The demonstration

On the evening of January 23, at 5 p.m. at least 200,000 (police estimate), according to other estimates, between 250,000 and 300,000 people with candles and torches moved from meeting points such as Rathausplatz and Stephansplatz across Vienna's Ringstrasse to Heldenplatz , where the Main rally took place. André Heller also took note of its historical importance as the place where Adolf Hitler was jubilantly received in 1938 after the "Anschluss" of Austria to the German Reich. "This is the largest demonstration that has ever taken place on Heldenplatz!" Reference. He moderated the rally, which lasted around two hours, together with Maria Bill and opened it by reading out a message from Federal President Thomas Klestil .

Further speeches were made at Heldenplatz and at the other meeting points, including:

  • Johannes Dantine (Senior Church Councilor of the Evangelical Church AB in Austria ): Fears cannot be met with exclusion
  • Chief Rabbi Paul Chaim Eisenberg : If a stranger lives in your country, you shouldn't oppress him
  • Marilies Flemming (ÖVP): Austria has always been a country of asylum
  • Paul Grosz (President of the IKG Vienna ): It is wrong to want to overtake Mr Haider on the right
  • Karl Helmreich: Laws against foreigners are more effective than barbed wire
  • Martin Kargl: Right-wing extremism and xenophobia are (not) a youth problem
  • Minister Viktor Klima (SPÖ): It's about social discrimination
  • Cardinal Franz König : Buzzwords only cause confusion
  • Ingrid Korosec (ÖVP): But it is not enough if we give a common witness today
  • Auxiliary Bishop Florian Kuntner : The concern that Austria could lose its humanity
  • Fritz Neugebauer (Vice President of the ÖGB , ÖVP): We need solidarity, cool heads and open hearts
  • Hidir Polat: I thought that I would find protection from persecution here
  • Minister Maria Rauch-Kallat (ÖVP): It is irresponsible to use foreigners as scapegoats
  • Willi Resetarits : The great social offensive
  • Martin Schenk : Let's not let fear drive us apart
  • Minister Rudolf Scholten (SPÖ): Better diversity than simplicity
  • Helmut Schüller (President of Caritas Austria ): An inhumane, affluent society lacks God's blessing
  • Peter Steyrer: With every deserter in detention, Austria takes sides for this war and against the people
  • Gamze Terzioglu: Please don't look the other way!
  • Friedrich Verzetnitsch (President of the ÖGB , SPÖ): The sea of ​​lights was a sea - and the sea is invincible

Artists such as STS and Ostbahn Kurti with the Wiener Tschuschenkapelle provided the musical framework . A “sea of ​​lights” sampler with songs by Wolfgang Ambros , Andy Baum , Bruji , Boris Bukowski , Peter Cornelius , Georg Danzer , Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung , André Heller , Ludwig Hirsch , Adi Hirschal , Leo Lukas , Opus , Ostbahn also appeared on the occasion of the protest -Kurti & Die Chefpartie , STS , Schürzenjäger , Hans Theessink , Wiener Tschuschenkapelle, Wilfried and Folke Tegetthoff for the benefit of the SOS Mitmensch organization. Christian Ludwig Attersee designed the record cover .

While the "Sea of ​​Lights" was the largest demonstration of the Second Republic so far (as of 2018) , the referendum with 416,531 signatures (7.35% of the population entitled to vote) and a place in the middle of the referendum in Austria clearly fell short of the FPÖ's expectations of 20% back.

literature

  • Martin Kargl, Silvio Lehmann (Ed.): Land in the sea of ​​lights. Voices against xenophobia. Picus-Verlag, Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-85452-252-5 .
  • Keyword sea ​​of ​​lights . In: Oswald Panagl , Peter Gerlich (Hrsg.): Dictionary of political language in Austria. Österreichischer Bundesverlag, Vienna 2007, ISBN 978-3-209-05952-9 .

Web links

Wiktionary: Sea of ​​lights  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Austrian Catholic Church : 20 years "Sea of ​​Lights" for more humanity , January 21, 2013
  2. ↑ a b Der Standard : “There is a blunting of souls and hearts” (Interview) , January 21, 2013
  3. ↑ a b SOS Mitmensch : An early warning system for Austria (2013) , accessed on January 21, 2018
  4. ^ Report of Zeit im Bild in the archives of the Austrian Media Library : Das Lichtermeer , January 24, 1993, accessed on January 21, 2018
  5. ↑ ORF : 20 Years of Lights , January 20, 2013.
  6. ^ Democracy Center Vienna: Sea of ​​Lights , accessed on September 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ Der Standard : 20 years ago today: Sea of ​​lights on Stephansplatz , 23 January 2013
  8. ↑ Martin Kargl, Silvio Lehmann (Ed.): Land in the sea of ​​lights. Voices against xenophobia. Picus-Verlag, Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-85452-252-5 .