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Dispute over Stalin memorial plaque: FPÖ demands immediate removal!
Debate about Stalin memorial plaque in Vienna: SPÖ and Neos consider removal, while FPÖ calls for immediate action.
Dispute over Stalin memorial plaque: FPÖ demands immediate removal!
The Vienna city government has decided to examine the controversial memorial plaque for Josef Stalin in Meidling. SPÖ and Neos, the governing parties, are having the removal of the board examined. This plaque, which has been installed on Schönbrunner Schlossstrasse since 1949 and indicates that Stalin briefly lived there in 1913, is at the center of heated debates. The FPÖ, represented by club chairman Maximilian Krauss, is calling for immediate removal and criticizing the fact that the governing parties are ignoring Stalin's atrocities, which cost millions of lives. These controversies burdened the culture of political discussion, as oe24 reported.
Contextualization and sense of responsibility
Around 2012, the original memorial plaque was expanded to include an additional plaque that refers to the victims of Stalinism. In its application, the city government emphasizes that it always strives to appropriately contextualize historical memorial sites in order to reflect the dark chapters of history without glossing over them. The cultural policy representatives demand that the city should deal with history and examine the plaque instead of simply leaving it in public space. City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler (SPÖ) was commissioned to explore “further options and courses of action” for the removal, as the discussion about it clearly shows the need for action, as wien.ORF.at reported.
The plaque debate highlights the profound challenges of dealing with historical memorabilia that often touch on controversial aspects of history. The central question is how a responsible engagement with the past can take place without denying historical responsibility, but at the same time meeting the demands of today's society. The FPÖ sees this as an urgent necessity and demands an immediate decision in favor of removing the plaque, as in their opinion a “historical contextualization” cannot do justice to such an honor.