[REVISION HISTORY]

Commercial development at former Mauthausen subcamp site

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-28 12:10 UTC → 2026-08-28 22:34 UTC · added ~~removed~~

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.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.