This article was last updated on May 15, 2023
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Passengers hear a recording of Adolf Hitler’s speech and Nazi slogans from intercoms on a train in Vienna
On Wednesday night, passengers travelling on a train between St. Pölten-Vienna were shocked to hear snippets of a speech from the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler along with Nazi slogans broadcasted over the public address system. The transmission lasted over ten minutes and was picked up through a train intercom system. Austrian police have apprehended two suspects, but the train staff is not considered as their involvement.
The suspects probably used a universal key to gain access to the intercom system
According to the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), the suspects might have used a master key, which can open Austrian Railway intercoms, as well as intercom boxes used by rail companies throughout Europe. The company estimates that tens of thousands of these keys are currently in circulation.
Third such incident in recent times
It was the third time within a short period that the intercom had been taken over on a train along the St. Pölten-Vienna route. Observation cameras helped in the arrest of two travellers who were involved in the previous incidents when the intruders used the intercom to report bomb threats. A complaint has been filed against them for registering a false alarm.
Passenger Reaction
The passengers on the train were surprised and shocked, as can be seen by their reactions on Twitter. Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister, a Viennese rabbi, who was also on the train, said: “The whole wagon was shocked. We couldn’t believe what we were hearing, it was completely surreal.” He tweeted that some travellers laughed at the messages’ content. Rabbi Schlomo was outraged that no explanation was provided by the authorities.
Anti-Semitic Incidents
The incident comes as Austria reports an increase in anti-Semitic behaviour. The Vienna Jewish Community (IKG) reported 719 anti-Semitic incidents in 2020, the second-highest number since records began. This year, even before the end of its first quarter, Austria has reported more than last year’s number. The majority of the cases have involved verbal harassment, with more than 120 cases of vandalism and 14 physical assaults.
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