Flashpoints of Austrian Memory: A Critical Analysis of the Controversial Veterans Meetings on the Ulrichsberg

Abstract

This study reveals intriguing facets of Austrian memory politics by examining the controversial Ulrichsberg Veterans meetings, held annually in southern Austria since 1958. With up to 10,000 participants at their height, the meetings attracted considerable media coverage that evolved in conjunction with changing socio-political attitudes towards the traumatic recent past. The main questions this thesis aims to answer are: to what extent can the Ulrichsberg meetings be referred to as a pilgrimage of right-wing extremists from across Europe; how have symbolism and hidden meanings contributed to this understanding; and what was the role of the Ulrichsberg in the evolution of post-war Austrian cultural memory and memory politics? This study shows that the evidence clearly demonstrates a significant link between the majority of Ulrichsberg supporters to far-right political thought, although the media’s obsession with the topic suggest some of these claims to be exaggerated. My micro-historical approach of providing answers to larger issues through the detailed study of a single phenomenon gives insight into the complex controversies of ongoing debates in Austrian memory politics.