Have you noticed the bronze bust here at Schillerplatz? This is the Josef-Weinheber-Denkmal. It commemorates the Austrian poet and writer Josef Weinheber.
Let me tell you a story about this monument and the man it honors. The Josef-Weinheber-Denkmal was unveiled on May 21, 1975. The Josef Weinheber-Gesellschaft initiated it. The city of Vienna later took over its care.
The monument features a bronze bust of Weinheber created by Josef Bock in 1940. Bock was a sculptor close to the Nazi regime. The bust sits atop a marble base designed by Heribert Rath.
Weinheber’s life and work have sparked controversy. He was born in Ottakring in 1892. Initially skeptical, Weinheber became a fervent National Socialist. He joined the NSDAP in 1931. Weinheber blamed his early literary failures on Jewish influence. He became a leading poet in Nazi Germany. Weinheber wrote propaganda and attacked disliked writers. In April 1945, as the Soviets advanced, he committed suicide.
After the war, friends who shared his Nazi sympathies largely preserved his literary legacy. The Josef-Weinheber-Denkmal became a point of contention. People defaced it with anti-fascist slogans. Vandals repeatedly removed the bust. In 1991, the city of Vienna redesigned the monument. They placed the bust on a polished granite base. A large concrete foundation was added. Some saw this as cementing the city’s commitment to Weinheber.
In 2013, the Plattform Geschichtspolitik intervened artistically. They exposed the concrete foundation without permission. This highlighted the conflict surrounding the monument. The city restored the original state.
Finally, in 2019, the monument underwent a permanent redesign. Eduard Freudmann, Chris Gangl, Gabu Heindl, Tatiana Kai-Browne, Katharina Morawek, and Philipp Sonderegger participated in the project. The city of Vienna added a panel in German and English. It discusses Weinheber and the monument’s history.
The text explains Weinheber’s embrace of National Socialism. It mentions his antisemitism and his role in Nazi cultural organizations. The text also details the monument’s history. It speaks about damage and redesigns. The Josef-Weinheber-Denkmal is more than just a memorial. It is a site of ongoing debate about history.