Savior of Vienna receives memorial plaque
Wien (OTS/BMAW) – As part of the commemoration ceremony, a memorial plaque was unveiled today at the government building on Stubenring, commemorating the resistance fighter Carl Szokoll. From Stubenring, he organized the resistance against the Nazi regime. Among other things, he was involved in “Operation Valkyrie” to end Nazi rule early in 1944. After the assassination attempt on Hitler failed, he was able to support the liberation of Vienna and avert further destruction as part of “Operation Radetzky” in cooperation with the Red Army.
Federal Minister Martin Kocher, Federal Minister Johannes Rauch, Federal Minister Norbert Totschnig and National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka took part in the event and commemorated Carl Szokoll’s work for the Republic of Austria. Representatives of the Israelite Community, historians and representatives from politics, the cultural sector and the clergy were among those invited.
“Today’s Federal Ministry of Labour and Economics is not only located in the former Austro-Hungarian War Ministry. The government building here on Stubenring was the central hub for military security in large parts of Austria from 1938 to 1945 and was therefore part of the tyranny of the Nazi regime. But this historic place was also where the resistance against the National Socialists was formed, in which Carl Szokoll played a key role. That is why we remember the resistance in the darkest hours of our history and reflect on the values that make a free and prosperous Austria possible,” emphasised Federal Minister Martin Kocher in his opening speech.
“Carl Szokoll and other officers organized Operation Valkyrie and Operation Radetzky from the government building on Stubenring. They have rightly been given an important place in the historical reappraisal. At the same time, thousands of deserters and conscientious objectors were persecuted by the Nazi military justice system here on Stubenring. They too risked their lives in the resistance against the regime – an important, if less prominent, part of the resistance. It is a beautiful, fitting sign that the memorial plaques for Carl Szokoll and for the many victims of the Nazi military justice system today make the facets of the resistance against this unjust regime visible side by side,” said Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch.
Federal Minister Norbert Totschnig emphasised in his speech: “Carl Szokoll’s courage and commitment have made a significant contribution to setting the course for a free and democratic Austria. That is, the Austria in which we all live today. That deserves our deepest recognition and gratitude.”
“Carl Szokoll stands for courage and humanity during the darkest chapter of our country. His life story shows that determined action against totalitarian regimes is not only an act of defense against injustice, but above all a commitment to stand up for justice. His legacy lives on as a warning and obliges each individual to stand up tirelessly for freedom and democracy. The memorial plaque on Stubenring reminds us to work for a world in which tolerance and respect form the basis for peaceful coexistence and anti-Semitism has no place,” said National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka.
About Carl Szokoll
Carl Szokoll was an important Austrian resistance fighter against the Nazi regime. Born in Vienna, he joined the Austrian Federal Army in 1934 and was taken into the German Wehrmacht after the “Anschluss” in 1938. In the Second World War he fought in Poland and France until he was seriously injured in 1941 and transferred to garrison duty in Vienna. There he acted as a liaison for Count Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg and played a central role in “Operation Valkyrie”, which aimed to overthrow Nazi rule and end the Second World War. When the assassination attempt failed, he was able to remain undetected. In 1945 he played a key role in the liberation of Vienna in “Operation Radetzky” and was able to avoid major damage to the city and the civilian population by working with the Red Army.
After the war, he became involved in film production and wrote several books about his experiences. Szokoll died in Vienna in 2004 and was honored several times for his services.
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