Videos

Blue umbrellas, blue balloons, blue raincoats. Robbed pensioners, the weakest of the weak, and government parties rejecting petitions. In his speech at Reumannplatz in Vienna-Favoriten, FPÖ lead candidate Heinz-Christian Strache reaches deep into his rhetorical and theatrical bag of tricks.

At the 2008 Thanksgiving harvest festival on Vienna’s Heldenplatz, Austrian Agriculture Minister Josef Pröll gratefully took up the baton to conduct a well-known brass band piece. The band members, for their part, barely looked up from their sheet music. Sleeves rolled up, the minister approached his task with enthusiasm. As quickly as it had begun, his appearance ended again just a few bars later. Lead candidate Wilhelm Molterer then went on to mingle with the crowd.

One month before the 2008 National Council election, things are notably quiet around the Austrian Parliament on Vienna’s Ringstraße. Every now and then a few tourists stumble upon the historic building designed by the Danish architect Theophil von Hansen. But after a few minutes, a portrait photo in front of the Pallas Athene statue, and a glance at the city map, the visit is already over. Lingering longer would even feel soothing, since the continuous hum of passing cars creates a kind of “parliamentary peace.”

Probably never before have so many celebrating people gathered in front of the Austrian Parliament. But it wasn’t locals — it was guests who were cheering loudly that night. Holding out tensely until the final whistle paid off for the Spaniards. España, España, España! him.at brings you a short video — the atmosphere often can’t be captured in photos alone…

Not every day is the same. That much became clear during the first four days of the Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. While over 50,000 fans were counted at the Austria-Croatia match in the Vienna Rathausplatz fan zone, an eerie calm prevailed just two days later. The few people moving through the fan zone in the afternoon are either security staff or vendors encouraging one another from stall to stall.

Austria has been preparing for long enough. Now the moment has come. Just one more night’s sleep and UEFA Euro 2008 begins. In Vienna, the Ringstraße has been cordoned off for the fan zone for almost a week now. Construction work is entering its final phase. So far, only a few onlookers and curious bystanders can be found around the fenced-off area. That the big party will kick off here from 7 June 2008 can only be guessed at.

On this evening, 12 March 2008, around 80,000 candles illuminate Vienna’s Heldenplatz — 70 years after the “Anschluss,” Austria’s annexation by Nazi Germany. The commemorative event, titled “Night of Silence,” is described by its organizers as a counterpoint to the jubilation of 1938. A sea of lights from civil society against racism and xenophobia.