This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/27/vienna-row-legacy-antisemitic-karl-lueger

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Vienna in row over legacy of historic antisemitic mayor Karl Lueger Vienna in row over legacy of historic antisemitic mayor Karl Lueger
(40 minutes later)
For the young Adolf Hitler, he was an inspiration, the greatest "German" city mayor ever. For the Austrian fascists who won a civil war in Vienna in the 1930s, he was a hero. Karl Lueger, the politician who presided over the city's fin-de-siecle golden era of Gustav Mahler, Gustav Klimt and Sigmund Freud and brought gas and fresh water to the imperial capital, is a Vienna legend. He was also a vicious antisemite. For the young Adolf Hitler, he was an inspiration, the greatest "German" city mayor ever. For the Austrian fascists who won a civil war in Vienna in the 1930s, he was a hero. Karl Lueger, the politician who presided over the city's fin-de-siècle golden era of Gustav Mahler, Gustav Klimt and Sigmund Freud and brought gas and fresh water to the imperial capital, is a Vienna legend. He was also a vicious antisemite.
There are at least a dozen spots in Vienna bearing Lueger's name. A towering oak outside city hall, a church in Vienna's main cemetery. A statue of a determined, ambitious Lueger dominates a city centre square named after him. But now, 78 years after a portion of the main belt of boulevard that encircles the city centre was named the Karl Lueger Ring, the streets signs are getting a makeover. There are at least a dozen spots in Vienna bearing Lueger's name. A towering oak outside city hall, a church in Vienna's main cemetery. A statue of a determined, ambitious Lueger dominates a city centre square named after him. But now, 78 years after a portion of the main belt of boulevards that encircles the city centre was named the Karl Lueger Ring, the streets signs are getting a makeover.
Last week the coalition of social democrats and Greens currently running the Austrian capital decided to rename the 600-metre stretch of the Ringstrasse bearing Lueger's name, triggering a row about whitewashing history, political correctness, and Vienna's often difficult attempts to deal with a troubled past. Last week the coalition of social democrats and Greens running the Austrian capital decided to rename the 600-metre stretch of the Ringstrasse bearing Lueger's name, triggering a row about whitewashing history, political correctness, and Vienna's often difficult attempts to deal with a troubled past.
"It's a scandal," the leader of the populist far right Freedom party, Heinz-Christian Strache, told Austrian TV. "The socialists in Vienna are building a memorial to a foreign mass murderer, Che Guevara, but an outstanding mayor of Vienna is being wiped from the street names." "It's a scandal," the leader of the populist far-right Freedom party, Heinz-Christian Strache, told Austrian TV. "The socialists in Vienna are building a memorial to a foreign mass murderer, Che Guevara, but an outstanding mayor of Vienna is being wiped from the street names."
Lueger, who ran Vienna from 1897 until his death in 1910, was a formidable and divisive figure in the years leading up to the first world war and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire in a city that was a fulcrum of Jewish life and culture in Europe.Lueger, who ran Vienna from 1897 until his death in 1910, was a formidable and divisive figure in the years leading up to the first world war and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire in a city that was a fulcrum of Jewish life and culture in Europe.
The prototype of rightwing Austrian populism still strong today (Strache's party is running at second place in the national opinion polls), Lueger described Vienna as "a big Jerusalem" and the Jews as "God murderers". The prototype of rightwing Austrian populism still strong today (Strache's party is running at second place in the national opinion polls), Lueger described Vienna as "a big Jerusalem" and the Jews as "God murderers". Hitler, who spent part of his youth in Lueger's Vienna before the first world war, extolled the city boss in Mein Kampf as "the greatest German mayor of all times".
Hitler, who spent part of his youth in Lueger's Vienna before the first world war, extolled the city boss in Mein Kampf as "the greatest German mayor of all times". In her definitive study of the early 20th century city, Hitler's Vienna, the historian Brigitte Hamann said Lueger "brutalised" the city through his anti-Jewish rabble-rousing.
In her definitive study of the early 20th century city, Hitler's Vienna, the historian Brigitte Hamann said that Lueger "brutalised" the city through his anti-Jewish rabble-rousing.
In other regards, Lueger's legacy survives to this day, with the energy and water supply networks and public transport systems he oversaw providing the basis for contemporary Viennese services.In other regards, Lueger's legacy survives to this day, with the energy and water supply networks and public transport systems he oversaw providing the basis for contemporary Viennese services.
This legacy is acknowledged by his critics who nonetheless are pleased that the city government has taken the symbolic step of stripping Lueger from Vienna's most prestigious 19th-century boulevard, home to the national parliament, city hall, opera house, theatres, national museums and galleries, and university.This legacy is acknowledged by his critics who nonetheless are pleased that the city government has taken the symbolic step of stripping Lueger from Vienna's most prestigious 19th-century boulevard, home to the national parliament, city hall, opera house, theatres, national museums and galleries, and university.
"Lueger's legacy lives on in Vienna a 100 years later," wrote the columnist, Hans Rauscher. "And so does his evil legacy – racism, demagoguery, xenophobia and the antisemitism that was his central political message. He gave the Viennese clean, fresh water. He also gave them the poison potion of a policy of hatred." "Lueger's legacy lives on in Vienna 100 years later," wrote the columnist Hans Rauscher. "And so does his evil legacy – racism, demagoguery, xenophobia and the antisemitism that was his central political message. He gave the Viennese clean, fresh water. He also gave them the poison potion of a policy of hatred."
The heads of the University of Vienna, embarrassed that the institution sits on the street bearing Lueger's name, have been campaigning for years for the revision.The heads of the University of Vienna, embarrassed that the institution sits on the street bearing Lueger's name, have been campaigning for years for the revision.
From October the boulevard will be known as University Ring rather than Karl Lueger Ring. A few hundred metres away, a large statue of the mayor dubbed the founder of modern antisemitism still stands proudly. The city government said there are no plans to make any other changes. From October the boulevard will be known as University Ring rather than Karl Lueger Ring. A few hundred metres away, a large statue of the mayor dubbed the founder of modern antisemitism still stands proudly. The city government said there were no plans to make any other changes.