Austria under pressure to block annual pro-Nazi gathering
Authorities being urged to censor the event by Jewish groups who call it "an affront to the memory of Holocaust victims”
Austrian authorities are under pressure to stop an annual event in which some 15,000 Croatians gather to celebrate the actions of Nazi collaborators.
The May 14 event in Bleiburg, in southern Austria, has featured flags and symbols of the Ustasha, militiamen of Croatia’s fascist puppet regime during World War II.
In 1945, fleeing Ustasha militiamen were handed over to Communist partisans at Bleiburg, making the locale significant for supporters of the movement.
Efraim Zuroff, Eastern Europe director for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, last month travelled to Vienna in an effort to draw media attention to what he called “an affront to the memory of Holocaust victims.”
Ustasha men are responsible for killing the majority of the 30,000 Croatian Jews murdered in the Holocaust, according to Yad Vashem. Only about one-fifth of the country’s pre-Holocaust Jewish community survived the genocide.
“Austria, where displaying a swastika is illegal, should know better than to allow this event featuring fascist symbols to go unchallenged year after year,” he told JTA.
Organizers from the Bleiburg Honorary Platoon said that, following pressure, flags with the Ustasha slogan “Za dom spremni” (“Ready for the Home(land)”) will be banned from the event.
Austrian authorities will deport anyone wearing uniforms or displaying fascist symbols at the event, officials told the HINA news agency.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
