Vienna exhibition urges disposal of Hitler relics

The Haus der Geschichte Österreich in Vienna presents 'Hitler entsorgen. Vom Keller ins Museum' (Disposing of Hitler. From the cellar to the museum), a documentary exhibition running until October 9, 2022. Curated by Monika Sommer, Stefan Benedik, and Laura Langeder, the show displays original Nazi-era artifacts in glass cases on wooden tables, including the microphone Hitler used to announce the Anschluss in Linz. Two bronze busts of Hitler, recovered from the Austrian Parliament's basement during renovations, are exhibited side by side, illuminated from behind to keep the face in shadow. The exhibition's title urges the public to discard Nazi memorabilia while preserving historically significant items. It also addresses the ongoing dilemma of families discovering relatives' Nazi affiliations. Meanwhile, a voluntary referendum is underway on whether to reopen the balcony of the Neue Burg, from which Hitler proclaimed the Anschluss on March 15, 1938, to 200,000 Viennese on Heldenplatz. The balcony has been locked to the public since the end of the Nazi era. The article questions whether the exhibition risks transforming Hitler into a protagonist of a new narrative, referencing Francesco Bonami's 2003 Venice Biennale theme 'The Dictatorship of the Spectator'.