Vienna, September 29, 2024 – The Europe Today: The singing of a song with Nazi-era associations at a funeral in Vienna has ignited a wave of public outrage as Austria prepares for parliamentary elections, where the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is projected to gain significant ground.
The controversial song, “Wenn alle untreu werden” (When All Become Unfaithful), was sung during the funeral of a former FPÖ politician on Friday. The song, originally composed in 1814, gained notoriety during the Nazi regime when it was adopted and glorified by the Schutzstaffel (SS) as a symbol of loyalty. Its lyrics refer to the “holy German Reich,” a phrase strongly associated with the Nazi era.
Three prominent members of the FPÖ—Martin Graf, Harald Stefan, and Norbert Nemeth—were reported to have attended the funeral. However, it remains unclear if they participated in singing the song. Austrian newspaper Der Standard published a video showing people near a grave singing the controversial song.
Austria’s Jewish Students’ Union has reported the incident to prosecutors, calling it an “alarm signal for Austria” in light of the upcoming national elections. Across the political spectrum, parties have condemned the event.
Justice Minister Alma Zadic of the Green Party criticized the FPÖ, stating, “Once again, the FPÖ is proving it is right-wing extremist.” Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) labeled the far-right populist party’s actions as reflective of its “radicalized face.”
The FPÖ has denied any involvement in organizing the funeral and condemned the political reactions to the video, accusing critics of “politically abusing the video of a private person’s funeral, over which the FPÖ had no influence.”
This incident comes at a sensitive time, as Austria approaches national elections with the far-right party leading in opinion polls.
