House of Austrian History: Celebrities Advocate for Preservation of Memorial Site in Vienna's Hofburg

A committee of prominent figures expressed concerns on Saturday regarding the potential impacts of the planned relocation of the House of Austrian History (hdgö) to the Vienna MuseumsQuartier. The Hofburg location should not be abandoned as a place of remembrance, reported the Ö1 "Midday Journal" from the appeal. Among the signatories are the writer Doron Rabinovic, the architect Gabu Heindl, and the director of the Jewish Museum Vienna, Barbara Staudinger.

Debate on House of Austrian History Location: Prominent Figures Fear "Impending Void"

With the opening of the hdgö in 2018 in the Neue Burg, "an active, critical remembrance work was established on site," emphasized artist Anna Paul, one of the initiators of the appeal. With the new location, there is a fear that "this conveyance of history at Heldenplatz" will be lost. "This is the impending void that we want to highlight with our call." Part of this discussion also concerns the balcony at the Neue Burg, from which Adolf Hitler delivered his infamous Heldenplatz speech in 1938. So far, efforts to establish the "Hitler balcony" as a memorial site have not been successful. However, the hdgö is engaging with this site in various projects. Starting April 22, in collaboration with the University of Art and Design Linz, three artistic ideas for a different approach to the balcony will be presented to initiate a new discourse.

Ministry of Culture to Review Documents on House of Austrian History Location Again

Regarding the location discussion itself, the office of the new Minister of Culture Andreas Babler (SPÖ) referred to the decision made by the previous government for the relocation to the MQ, for which extensive preliminary work had already been done, in a statement to the "Midday Journal." They are fundamentally in favor of enhancing the hdgö but want to review all documents for the project again. There was an understanding for the voices preferring to remain in the Neue Burg.

(APA/Red)

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