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2 clusters · 15 sources · 6 days · First seen 7 days ago · Last updated 1 day ago

Commercial development at former Mauthausen subcamp site

Overview

Construction has commenced in Leobersdorf, Austria, for a Lidl supermarket and distribution center on the site of the former Hirtenberg subcamp, which was part of the Mauthausen concentration camp system. The site previously held approximately 400 women, primarily from the Soviet Union, as well as prisoners from Italy and Poland, who were forced to manufacture munitions between September 1944 and April 1945.

The development has faced significant backlash from various groups. The Mauthausen International Committee called for an immediate halt to construction, arguing that the project is “in obvious contradiction to the principles of modern culture of remembrance” and demanding the preservation of the site as a memorial.

Criticism has extended to international and local figures. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Austria of “paving over” the memory of victims, while the director of the Mauthausen Memorial and the head of Vienna’s Jewish community described the commercial project as a disgrace. Historian Bertrand Perz has noted that female prisoners in the Mauthausen system have often been marginalized in remembrance culture.

While archaeological investigations identified traces of the camp, the Austrian Federal Monuments Office concluded that the remains were insufficient for comprehensive heritage protection.

Entities

Leobersdorf · LIDL · Hirtenberg · Russia · Rosotrudnichestvo

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Erich Strobl expressed sadness that a historically burdened site is being sacrificed to economic interests. www.europesays.com · fr.euronews.com · www.letemps.ch
[● 2 SOURCES] Historian Bertrand Perz stated that female prisoners of Mauthausen have been marginalized in remembrance culture. www.europesays.com · fr.euronews.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The development project includes a cold storage warehouse and a Lidl supermarket branch. www.europesays.com · www.rt.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The Hirtenberg subcamp held approximately 400 women, primarily from the Soviet Union, Italy, and Poland. www.europesays.com · www.rt.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The planned business park is located in Leobersdorf, approximately 40 kilometers south of Vienna. www.europesays.com · www.rt.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the decision to build on the site 'hypocrisy in full view'. www.rt.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Mauthausen Memorial director Barbara Gluck described the destruction of the camp remains as 'a disgrace'. www.rt.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Austrian Federal Monuments Office concluded that the remaining ruins were insufficient for comprehensive monument protection. www.europesays.com

Timeline

1 day ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 12 sources
Austria business park plans spark outrage at former Nazi camp site
Plans to build a business park and Lidl supermarket on the site of the former Hirtenberg Nazi women's camp in Austria have sparked local outrage and international condemnation.
7 days ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 3 sources
Lidl supermarket construction sparks controversy at former Mauthausen camp site
The Mauthausen International Committee is demanding an immediate halt to Lidl supermarket construction in Leobersdorf, Austria, on the site of a former women's concentration camp.

Sources

de.euronews.com · europesays.com · fr.euronews.com · hu.euronews.com · lat.sputnikportal.rs · letemps.ch · n1info.hr · naiz.eus · on.rt.com · oslobodjenje.ba · pt.euronews.com · sjevercg.me · sputnikportal.rs · standartnews.com · vijesti.me

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history