Austria's Nazi Ban: Law And Legacy

The Austrian Nazi Party was banned in June 1933 after a fatal bombing in Krems. However, the Austrian Nazis continued to operate illegally within the country, and thousands fled to Germany, where they formed a paramilitary unit known as the Austrian Legion. The ban on the Austrian Nazi Party was short-lived, as the party was revived and made part of the German Nazi Party after the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938. Today, Austria strictly prohibits the public display of Nazi symbols and has passed laws to prevent the trivialisation of the Holocaust.

Nazi symbols banned in Austria

Nazi symbols are banned in Austria. The country has a law prohibiting the public display and proliferation of insignia, emblems, uniforms, flags, and other items clearly associated with the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party). This includes the straight-arm salute.

The law includes commonly recognised replacements or slightly modified depictions of Nazi symbols. Violations of the Badges Act 1960, which prohibits the public display of Nazi symbols, can result in a fine of up to €4,000 and up to one month of imprisonment. If the violation is deemed an attempt to promote National Socialism, the Prohibition Act 1947 is applied, resulting in up to ten years of imprisonment.

Austria, like neighbouring Germany, passed laws after World War Two banning the Nazi party and the spreading of Nazi propaganda, as well as symbols of Hitler's Third Reich. Austrian-born Hitler's Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938.

In November 2022, Austria announced plans to strengthen its law banning the use of Nazi symbols to adapt to recent trends, including protesters against COVID-19 restrictions likening themselves to Jews during the Holocaust.

Austrian Nazi Party banned in 1933

The Austrian Nazi Party was banned in June 1933, following a fatal hand grenade attack in Krems. This was not the first time the Austrian government had attempted to curb the rising tide of Nazism in the country. In May 1933, the Dollfuss regime had banned the Austrian Communist Party, republican paramilitary organisations, and Freethinkers Organisations, among other groups.

The ban on the Austrian Nazi Party was imposed in response to a wave of Nazi terrorism that had been ongoing since the previous month. Nazi supporters had generated a wave of violence that resulted in four deaths and 48 injuries. The Nazis had been staging disruptive protests, brawling with political opponents and the police, and setting off explosives and tear gas bombs in public places and Jewish-owned businesses.

The ban, however, did not stop the activities of the Austrian Nazis, who continued to operate illegally within the country. Many Austrian Nazis also fled across the border to Germany, where they formed a paramilitary unit known as the Austrian Legion. The Legion received military training and became a threatening presence on the Austro-German border.

The Austrian Nazi Party had been gaining supporters since 1931, as Hitler's popularity in Germany increased. By 1933, the Austrian Nazi Party recognised Hitler as their leader. Hitler, in turn, appointed a German Nazi to bring the Austrian party in line with the German Nazi Party.

The ban on the Austrian Nazi Party was short-lived. In 1938, Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in an event known as the Anschluss.

Austrian Nazi Party revived in 1938

The Austrian Nazi Party was revived in 1938 after the German annexation of Austria. The German annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss, took place on March 11-13, 1938. This event transformed Austria, which ceased to exist as a country overnight.

In the lead-up to the annexation, the Austrian Nazi Party had been banned by the Dollfuss regime in June 1933 in response to a fatal bombing. Despite the ban, Austrian Nazis continued to operate illegally within the country and gained support as Hitler's popularity in Germany grew. Thousands of Austrian Nazis also fled to Germany, where they formed a paramilitary unit known as the Austrian Legion and received military training.

After the failed Nazi coup in July 1934, which resulted in the assassination of Chancellor Dollfuss, Kurt von Schuschnigg became the new chancellor and continued his predecessor's authoritarian policies. Schuschnigg's attempts to maintain Austrian independence ultimately failed due to increasing pressure from Hitler and the growing aggression of Nazi Germany.

In February 1938, Hitler met with Schuschnigg and demanded that Austria's foreign and military policies be coordinated with Germany, that Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart be placed in charge of policing and security matters, and that imprisoned Austrian Nazis be amnestied. Schuschnigg gave in to these demands, signing the Berchtesgaden Agreement.

On March 9, Schuschnigg made a final attempt to assert Austrian independence by calling for a plebiscite on independence, scheduled for March 13. However, Hitler responded by mobilizing the 8th Army and issuing a series of ultimatums, demanding that Schuschnigg cancel the plebiscite, resign, and appoint Seyss-Inquart as the new chancellor. Faced with the threat of a German military invasion, Schuschnigg conceded and resigned on March 11.

On March 12, Austrian President Wilhelm Miklas appointed Seyss-Inquart as chancellor, and on March 13, Seyss-Inquart signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law, formally incorporating Austria into Nazi Germany. The annexation was met with enthusiasm by large sections of the Austrian population, who cheered and welcomed the German troops as they crossed the border.

The revival of the Austrian Nazi Party as part of the German Nazi Party following the annexation led to the rapid Nazification of all aspects of Austrian life. Austrian Nazis, along with their German counterparts, persecuted the country's Jewish population, enacted Nazi policies, and fought in World War II.

Austria's Fatherland Front banned in 1938

The Fatherland Front (VF) was established on May 20, 1933, by Engelbert Dollfuss, the Chancellor of Austria at the time. It was a right-wing conservative, nationalist, and corporatist ruling political organisation that aimed to unite all Austrians and supersede all political parties and social and economic interest groups. The VF was organised along the lines of Italian Fascism, was aligned with the Catholic Church, and did not advocate any racial ideology. It banned and persecuted its political opponents, including Communists, Social Democrats, and Austrian Nazis who wanted Austria to join Germany.

In July 1934, Dollfuss was assassinated by the Nazis, and he was succeeded as leader of the VF and Chancellor of Austria by Kurt Schuschnigg, who ruled until he was forced to resign on March 11, 1938, by the invigorated Nazis. Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany the next day, and the Fatherland Front was immediately banned.

The role of the Fatherland Front has been a contentious point in post-war Austrian historiography. While many historians consider it to be a variant of fascism, conservative authors emphasise its defence of the country's independence and opposition to Nazism.

Austria's Anschluss with Germany

In the 1920s, the proposal for a union between Austria and Germany gained strong support in both countries, particularly from Austrian citizens of the political left and centre. The idea was supported by Otto Bauer, a prominent Social Democrat leader who served as Austria's Foreign Minister after the war. The support for unification largely stemmed from the belief that Austria, stripped of its imperial land, was not economically viable. However, the popularity of unification faded over time, although it remained a concept in contemporary Austrian political discourse.

After Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis, for whom it was an integral part of their ideology. The Nazis sought to incorporate as many ethnic Germans outside of Germany as possible into a "Greater Germany". In early 1938, under increasing pressure from pro-unification activists, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced a referendum on a possible union with Germany, to be held on March 13. Hitler threatened an invasion and pressured Schuschnigg to resign. On March 12, the day before the planned referendum, the German army crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. A plebiscite was held on April 10, resulting in a 99.7% approval for the Anschluss.

The unification of Austria and Germany was not universally supported. Many Austrians still showed allegiance to the Habsburg monarchy and wished for Austria to remain an independent country. Additionally, the Social Democrats, Communists, and other political groups opposed the union. However, the Nazis suppressed all opposition, arresting and imprisoning dissenters or sending them to concentration camps.

The unification of Austria and Germany had far-reaching consequences. It marked the beginning of Hitler's aggressive territorial expansion, which eventually led to World War II. The unification also resulted in an outburst of public violence against Austria's Jewish population, who were subjected to discriminatory laws and restrictions. Many Jews decided to leave Austria, while those who remained eventually became victims of the Holocaust.

Frequently asked questions