Why the Austrian capital should reconsider the statue of the anti-Semite mayor of Vienna Karl Lueger (1844-1910)
In spring 2009 an initiative by the Austrian Academy for Applied Arts with the support of renown historians started the Open Call for proposals to restructure a statue of Karl Lueger. This monument prominently stands on one of the most important streets of Vienna´s city-center since its inauguration in 1926. Installed in honor of his political achievements, the statue ignores the problematic role Lueger played as anti-Semitic agitator. His populist bating against Jews inspired Hitlers to utter his admiration, calling him the “grandest German Mayor of all times” in “Mein Kampf”. Traces of the race-baiting can still be found in speeches of today’s right-winged politicians, for Luegers slander “Great Vienna must not become Greater Jerusalem” was echoed in the slogan “Vienna must not become Istanbul” during recent electoral campaigns. In times of dangerous social shifts towards the extreme-right in Europe, one should believe that moderate political parties still in power today should see the appalling necessity to act towards a more tolerate society of tomorrow if they want to remain driving forces of society, shouldn´t they?Therefore the Open Call expressed the will that the face of Vienna shall no longer be shaped by the presence of a man, whose rhetoric racism greatly contributed to a social acceptance of anti-Semitism, with all historical aftermath ensuing from such mindset. Arguing that politicians playing on anti-Semitism should not be honored with statues, the work-group demanded that the statue should not simply be removed, but be re-structured into a monument against anti-Semitism and racism in Austria. This Open Call resulted in some 220 concepts and designs handed in by architects and artists.
Lueger himself greatly contributed to founding the myth about his person. The Lueger-cult was expressed in numerous manifestations at the time: A Lueger-Marsh, composed expressly for his public appearances. He carefully arranged his distinctive visual traits, like his idiosyncratic beard, characterizing every portrait at first sight. The personal proximity Lueger suggested in particular to his female adherents, leading him to conceal all intimate relationships. All those features marked an incredibly strong public appearance of the man who worked hard to consolidate his surname “Lord Godof Vienna” with means that are nowadays successfully known as merchandising tools for corporate identity. That as such is nothing to be blamed for – but it is unacceptable once this popularity seeks even higher esteem by exploiting hate-campaigns against minorities. And it is even less acceptable, if this heritage is not reflected, but remains solid rock for now nearly a century.
Especially monuments are interesting certificates of personality cult from a cultural perspective. The question is only: Can a multicultural city afford to leave such reverence uncommented: Lifting a man onto a podium, who may have enriched the municipal infrastructure in many ways, but gained the power for these realizations by the strategic use of flamboyant anti-Semitism and the creation of foe-images.
In spite of their grand gesture and voluminous presence in the urban space, any monument reaches the state of disappearance, when it shifts to the backspace of our perception. Durable and immobile, their permanence is soaked into the blurry background that we no longer actively detect. Monuments slowly fall behind into some nostalgic coulisse-inventory: We move across them but just see through them, silently incorporated into the cities lithic and ever so often romanticized silhouette
So there comes the big refusal – Why on earth should we butcher our beautiful coulisse? An answer is as quickly found as it is unwanted: Monuments express hegemony. It is a question of power to decide which remains of History are tolerated, kept alive and how you make History tell its story. This is exactly the moment where the Open Call chose challenging conditions.
The ambivalent Lueger-statue should not be demounted, not negated. But neither should it be silently acclaimed, as an enthroning podium immediately suggests towards spectators. Restructuring was the credo: articulate the context of this ambivalent person and dare pronounce the difficulties to handle such heritage – a situation that is only more appalling by the fact that this statue is put under preservation order as site of historic interest. Indeed did the filings to the Open Call show a wide range of awareness of this “historic interest”.
Readjusting views by 3,5 degrees
The winning proposal of the Open Call was presented by the Austrian artist Klemens Wihlidal. He foresees to incline statue and base by 3,5 degrees to the right side. This concept of an oblique presentation wants to tackle quarrels with fate and heritage. A symbol for the Austrian uneasiness in dealing with History. And initially the authorities of the City of Vienna showed enthusiastic interest in this urgent matter. Unfortunately this proposal turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy: It became the symbol for exactly what it had dared to pronounce.
The awarded concept is now stuck: We stand today, half a year after the official proposal in an impasse, as the initiator of the Open Call, Martin Krenn notices. Financing of the project by the KÖR, an official bureau dedicated to “Art in Public Spaces” requires consent by the “Bundesdenkmalamt” (Federal Department for the Protection of Heritage Buildings and Monuments). But the regional custodian will not consent any “tilting” because “The appearance of the Lueger monument would be permanently affected” – Oh really, would it? Still, the project received no official rejection that could then be arraigned at the next level of jurisdiction, because only the owner of the monument could submit an application – knowing that the owner is the City of Vienna, that at the time faced municipal elections. But even after those were won by the Green Party and the Socialists, all politicians in charge remained silent. As long as the city of Vienna as owner of the monument, does not issue a restructuring-offer, the national preservation authorities will not approve or decline the proposal. So nothing happens.
Knowing that a “permanent affection” of the monument is out of question, one could conclude that the inviolable status of the anti-Semite Mayor remains unquestioned. Not even a little information sign was applied to indicate the troubled past connected with this protected heritage. Instead the jury-awarded concept was faced with immediate protesters claiming, in that case all Viennese monuments dedicated to historically ambivalent socialists would have to be inclined to the left.
Whoever looks at the proposals will see an enormously creative willingness to address the difficulties bequeathed by the past. Some designs foresaw to cover the statue with plants, moss or mildew. Others wanted to construct additional sculptures around Lueger or project artistic rays of lights onto it, so as to illuminate our blind spots. The winning award shows, that views gone solid refuse to be adjusted – not even by 3,5 degrees. One can only hope, that the authorities in charge will reconsider their handling with ambivalent historic figures. Not everything is suitable for a beautifully nostalgic and inconsiderate background.
JACQUELINE.NOW 