Debate about Nazi road names: Carinthia demands information and renaming!

Debate about Nazi road names: Carinthia demands information and renaming!

Klagenfurt, Österreich - The debate about naming streets after National Socialists now also reaches Carinthia. Happed by the renaming in Braunau, where on July 2, 2025 the local council voted on the adaptation of traffic areas, the need for action is becoming increasingly apparent. The decision is based on a legal opinion by constitutional expert Markus Vašek from the Johannes-Kepler University Linz, which comes to the conclusion that the retention of such street names would violate Article 9 of the State Treaty and is therefore unconstitutional. Article 9 obliges Austria to remove all traces of Nazism from political, economic and cultural life. This makes the need for changes clear.

With regard to the situation in Carinthia, the Mauthausen Committee identifies the need for action in many communities. In Klagenfurt, over 50 loaded street names were found, four of which have already been renamed. In Villach, on the other hand, 16 additional boards were attached to contaminated street names to point out the problematic background. Manfred Morokutti, the chairman of the Mauthausen Committee, demands more awareness through education so that young people recognize the problem of honoring historically stressed persons and understand their importance for the present. This happens at a time when the rejection of National Socialism is laid down as a fundamental characteristic of the Republic of Austria, according to the Constitutional Court.

results of the legal opinion

The crucial legal opinion states that municipalities are obliged to have the biographies of namesake scientifically examined in suspicions. If the suspicion of severe Nazi pollution is confirmed, existing names must be changed. In Braunau, we are currently weighing whether street names are being transferred to a new look after heavily burdened National Socialists. Robert Eiter, a spokesman for the Upper Austria. Network against racism and right-wing extremism underlines that maintaining Nazi-contaminated street names is not an option. The report has already been forwarded to the Mayor of Braunau Johannes Waidbacher and to other responsible persons.

The discussion about the renaming of Nazi-contaminated streets shows that society is ready in Austria to deal with its history. The way to the future requires that these topics are not only discussed at the political level, but also find a place in education and in public awareness. The endeavor to carry out a historical reflection could be a turning point in Carinthia and beyond.

More details on the discussions and developments can be found in the reports of Oe24 , mkoe and Nachrichten .