Thomas Behm

Thomas Behm is an Austrian alpinist , sport climber and author of climbing guides .

controversy

In September 2010 there was a controversy about allegedly neo-Nazi or at least very ambiguous names given by Behm for climbing routes in Lower Austria . These have (also officially) names such as Kristalltag (see Reichskristallnacht ), Swastikaar (see Swastika ), Besatzerfraß (a song by Daniel Giese ), Riefenstahl , Heil der Eiche or Ewiges Reich , since Behm was allowed to name them as the first climber . According to a report by Falter , several Austrian daily newspapers took up the topic.

In a reply on his homepage, Behm defends himself against the accusations raised in the media: "The naming of my meanwhile more than 800 new tours shows various influences: occult horror literature [...], apocalyptic thinkers [...], memory paths for deceased friends (e .g . 'Black Brother'), related to the type of climbing (e.g. 'Tren zum Verrecken', 'Bunker Schnucki'), pagan […], simply “trivial” […], and last but not least names of musical groups and song titles from music groups [...], which I liked to hear at the time the route was opened [...]. Other interpretations of my route names are of course permissible, but not in my sense ”.

Works

• Guide for the Flatzer Wand , Wiener Neustadt 1994
• with Robert Gruber , Bernd Schwanda: Keltenkalk , Schwanda Verlag, Vienna 2003, ISBN 3-902-45300-1
• Climbing guide Höllental , Wiener Neustadt 2000
• Hohe Wand climbing guide , Verlag Österreichischer Touristenklub , Vienna 1996
• Climbing guide Höllental, Rax, Schneeberg , Wiener Neustadt 2006
• Topos Fischauer Vorberge , Wiener Neustadt 1994

Individual evidence

1. ↑ "Kristalltag": Via ferrata with Nazi names in Austria . Die Presse , September 7, 2010. Retrieved September 7, 2010
2. ^ Falter: Climbing routes around Vienna have Nazi names , press release on ots.at, September 7, 2010
3. ↑ Thomas Behm's website , accessed on September 9, 2010

Web links

• Website by Thomas Behm