This is the Memorial for the Victims of Nazi Military Justice in Vienna. It commemorates those who were killed desterting the Nazis. This memorial has two unique things happening, the first one is the design of it and the second one is the protest happening at the site. This memorial is designed to be climbed on. Similar to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe it is made up of concrete slabs and in a park space within the centre of the city. However, this memorial requires you to climb on it to see the full extent of its design and meaning. People also casually sit on the different levels to eat lunch and generally hang out. These behaviours are encouraged and do not detract from the Memorials meaning or overall impact to the visitor. The second unique thing happening in this space is the protest by the Grandma’s Against the Right. Once I knew that these women were there protesting against political far-right parties, I was elated to take a photo of them and cheer them on. These women are using the memorial to help their protest both as an example of the dangers of the far right and as a place to sit while they protest. It was not until later that I thought about the double standard I placed on this memorial.
These actions did not feel out of place at this memorial, but I am struck with the question of why? If people were meant to climb on the stelae of the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, would that change the feelings surrounding the space to be less focused on our perceptions of people’s disrespect and more about experiencing the space itself. Even without the climbing element, seeing people sitting casually on this memorial did not give that visceral reaction like at the stelae. If we saw a protest, even one we agreed with, like the Grandmas against the right, on the stelae, would we feel the same way as seeing them on this memorial? Both memorials commemorate victims of the Nazi regime, yet the same behaviour feels disrespectful at one but encouraged at the another.
The different energy which I felt at each site is likely influenced by a number of factors. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was one of the first big memorials we saw on this trip, so our expectations of how to act at a memorial were not yet challenged by our experiences. I also wonder if the specific group being commemorated also influenced our group reactions. I personally felt like spaces which specifically commemorated Jewish victimhood was given more prominence by our group and seemingly “inappropriate” behaviours was more condemned at these sites. With the current state of world politics, I wonder if there is an extra sensitivity around any seemingly anti-Jewish sentiment. I am in no way condoning actual anti-semitism, however, due to the increased vulnerability of the Jewish community, any action, even if no harm is intended, can be seen as disrespectful and anti-semitic. This could explain why the same hostility was not directed toward similar actions at sites not specifically commemorating Jewish victims. This is not only about our group but also includeds a more general sentiment I experienced throughout the trip and readings.