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30-514: Www .auslandsdienst .at /en / Gedenkdienst is a concept in Austria aimed at young people to face and take responsibility for the darkest chapters of the country's history while being financially supported by Austrian government. Founded in Austria in 1992 by Andreas Maislinger , the Gedenkdienst is an alternative to Austria 's compulsory national military service as well as

60-651: A 3-week lecturing and promotion tour through Canada and the United States. In May 2023, Maislinger stepped down as chairman of the Austrian Service Abroad after public criticism. As a reaction to the participation of the FPÖ (Austrian Freedom Party) in the Austrian federal government in 2000, Maislinger suggested that the city of Braunau am Inn should establish a " House of Responsibility " in

90-475: A volunteering platform for Austrians to work in Holocaust and Jewish culture-related institutions around the world with governmental financial support. The Austrian Gedenkdienst seeks to serve the remembrance of the crimes of Nazism , commemorates its victims and supports Jewish cultural future. The program is rooted in the acknowledgment of responsibility by the Austrian government for the crimes committed by

120-536: Is no Austrian association which sends young people to Israel, like the German organization “Aktion Sühnezeichen”. It touched me to read there is now, thanks to the possibility to perform the Austrian civilian service within the framework of the Gedenkdienst. As a former Polish political prisoner of a fascist Concentration Camp and historian of World War II, I want to take the honoring opportunity to speak in front of

150-715: The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Award , rewarding people who actively contribute to the remembrance of the Holocaust. In 2005 Maislinger received the Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria from the president of Austria, Heinz Fischer , and the Medal of Merit of the state of Tirol from Herwig van Staa and Luis Durnwalder . On 8 November 2009 Andreas Maislinger

180-642: The International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim/Auschwitz ; Austrian president Rudolf Kirchschläger declined. Kirchschläger later acknowledged the value of Maislinger's proposal of civilian service for reconciliation and atonement related to the Holocaust. In 1980 he received his doctorate for a dissertation on the problems of Austrian defense policy. He subsequently held posts at the Institute for Political Science at

210-763: The Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau . Since then more the 1000 Gedenkdiener served in 23 countries worldwide. Prominent supporters of this program include Simon Wiesenthal , Teddy Kollek , Ari Rath and Gerhard Röthler . In 1998 he founded the Austrian Service Abroad with Andreas Hörtnagl and Michael Prochazka , adding the Austrian Social Service and the Austrian Peace Service to the portfolio. In October and November 2009 Andreas Maislinger made

240-732: The University of Innsbruck , the University of New Orleans as visiting assistant professor, the Humboldt University of Berlin for a research visit, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem . In 1982 he co-founded the working group of independent peace initiatives of Austria and in 1986 he became a member of the founding committee of the Austrian - Israeli society Tirol . Until 1996, he published columns in

270-474: The "Jüdische Rundschau" (Jewish Review). Together with Andreas Hörtnagl , Maislinger founded the Gedenkdienst (Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service). He successfully pleaded for the legal establishment of this kind of alternative to mandatory military service, aiming at promoting education and raising awareness about the Holocaust . On 1 September 1992 the first young Austrian started his Gedenkdienst at

300-465: The Austrian government vouched to finance a Gedenkdienst with the first Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servant starting in 1992. After amendments to Austrian law in 2014, women or men who are not required to perform civilian service have also been able to perform memorial service and receive the same state funding since 2014. Moreover, a new amendment, which came into force in September 2023, increased

330-421: The Austrian people's share of responsibility for the crimes committed by National Socialism during WWII. The new approach rejected the then established myth of Austria merely being the first victim of Nazism . This signaled a new approach within the Austrian political establishment regarding its stance and treatment of Austria's and Austrians' roles during the time of National Socialism . Following these events,

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360-606: The French embassy in Vienna. (Selection) Andreas H%C3%B6rtnagl Andreas Hörtnagl (born 28 November 1942) is an Austrian politician. Born in Matrei am Brenner , Hörtnagl was mayor of Gries am Brenner from 1980 to 1992. He became well known because of the conflict with his predecessor Jakob Strickner , who had praised himself in the German magazine Bunte because he had helped Josef Mengele to escape to Italy over

390-506: The Holocaust, its causes and consequences. In 2008, female volunteers were supported for the first time by the newly created Geschwister Mezei Fund. This was set up with the aim of offering women the opportunity to perform memorial service under the same conditions as those doing alternative civilian service. This was made possible for all sponsoring organisations with the amendment to the Volunteer Act in 2014. This organisation received

420-667: The Leon Zelman Prize in 2013. In addition to its volunteer activities, the Gedenkdienst also offers events and projects in the field of historical and political education. Andreas Maislinger Maislinger studied law and political science in Salzburg and political science and eastern-European history in Vienna , with study visits in, amongst others, Frankfurt am Main and Innsbruck . During his studies in Salzburg, Maislinger advocated for Austrian participation in

450-623: The Nazis . The historian, political scientist and scientific director of the Braunau Contemporary History Days Andreas Maislinger promoted the idea of an alternative to the compulsory military service dedicated to the research, understanding and remembrance of the Holocaust as well as the commemoration of its victims since the late 1970s. In 1991 Austrian chancellor Franz Vranitzky was the first chancellor of Austria to admit to and acknowledge

480-410: The allegations had been clarified with the help of an ombudsman team two years ago and that he had no intention of participating in a public discussion. The Ministry of Social Affairs , which is supporting the organization financially, had been aware of the allegations since the fall of 2022, according to Puls 24. A suspension of funding would have been unreasonable based on the state of knowledge at

510-400: The birth house of Adolf Hitler . On 10 May 2023 the Austrian weekly news magazine Falter made severe accusations against Maislinger. Maislinger called one Gedenkdiener and threatened him with suicide, saying, "You'll have to live with the fact that I'm going to kill myself now.", according to Austrian news station Puls 24. Jonathan Dorner, who was doing his Gedenkdienst in 2019, was also

540-400: The financial resources for those performing memorial service and opened up the possibility of continuing memorial service in Austria in the event of disasters such as the coronavirus pandemic . In addition, there is now a centralised record of completed memorial service. I follow the works of the Gedenkdienst with great interest and the organization has my full support. I often claimed there

570-623: The first community in Austria which accepted 20 Romanian asylum seekers . Hörtnagl he was not re-elected as a mayor in 1992. However the university Innsbruck and the Bishopric Innsbruck presented him high honours for his dedication. In 1992 he and Andreas Maislinger arranged the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service and gave young Austrian's the possibility to work in foreign holocaust memorial places. Since 2000 he has been assistant chairman of

600-430: The first victims. I like to support and recommend the Gedenkdienst initiative. It is a real service which can be and should be provided by young people. Many people have no idea what those young Austrians achieve for themselves, that they straighten up their backbones, so they can walk straight again, also myself, who belongs to this generation. I consider the project Gedenkdienst as an important and valuable initiative in

630-569: The high house. I want to thank all the young Austrians, which work so hard for the remembrance of the past. Here I specially think of the people of the documentation archive of the Austrian resistance under the leadership of Prof. Wolfgang Neugebauer, the Austrian Camp Community Mauthausen, the Gedenkdienst, and also the local initiatives of the communities Gusen, Langenstein und St. Georgen in Oberösterreich,

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660-521: The meaning of the words “Never forget. The association provided positions in 19 memorial sites in Germany and Poland. The association "Never Forget" took an active part in youth work against forgetting. The association stopped operations and became defunct in 2017. Andreas Hörtnagl and Andreas Maislinger founded the organization " Austrian Service Abroad " in 1998. The organization is the largest in Austria and sends Auslandsdiener to six continents of

690-570: The scientific director of the annual Braunau Contemporary History Days in Braunau am Inn. He also participates actively in projects promoting gifted children . Since 2003 he is in charge of the Georg Rendl Symposion. He had founded the symposium to familiarise people with the life and works of the painter and author Georg Rendl, whom Maislinger had already met as a child in his hometown St. Georgen/Salzburg. In 2006 he initiated

720-506: The service of peace and the peoples' communication. Gedenkdienst is remembrance work, which is also a bridge between “Yesterday's World” and the modern and democratic Austria. It also is a reminder that today's values like a sense of responsibility and moral courage did not lose their importance. Each Generation has to be aware of the horror of the past, to be able to build a new world of peace and respect for human rights. The project Gedenkdienst serves this important challenge of sensitizing for

750-541: The so-called Rat-Line . Hörtnagl was ashamed for the behaviour of his predecessor, and he regretted Strickland's attitude to holocaust survivors. Strickner sued him because of the offence of his honour; however he had no success before the court. In 1991, at Bishop Reinhold Stecher 's suggestion, mayor Hörtnagl arranged the first L’Arche community for disabled and able-bodied people, at Stecher's commune in Gries am Brenner. Also at Hörtnagl's instigation, Gries am Brenner became

780-469: The target of a suicide threat and numerous other threats after he had contradicted Maislinger and addressed problematic circumstances. Dorner sees a system in these threats; the announcement of his suicide was used against the young people in the association "to get his way when something did not go according to his plan." Furthermore, threats of criminal charges were also alleged. In response to an inquiry by Austrian newspaper Kurier, Maislinger commented that

810-488: The time, the ministry commented in response to an ORF query. Three days after the allegations were made public, Maislinger announced his resignation as Chairman of the Austrian Service Abroad. An external investigation of the allegations came to the conclusion that there had been cases of abuse of power by Maislinger. The organizational structure had been adjusted to prevent a similar concentration of power as had occurred under Maislinger. Since 1992, Maislinger has served as

840-438: The working circle for homeland, memorial and history care. I thank you for the information about the positive result from your accomplished Gedenkdienst. The Gedenkdienst is a very impressive initiative. I feel very close to this organization and I have great respect for the servants, because what they achieve is the right way for Austria – to look the past directly into the eyes and to do something against it. Not to say, we were

870-518: The world to accomplish Holocaust commemoration work, social services and peace services. The Austrian Service Abroad is characterized by offering three types of service: the Gedenkdienst, the Austrian Social Service and the Austrian Peace Service . In May 2023, Maislinger stepped down as chairman after public criticism for alleged abuse of power. The Gedenkdienst association was founded in 1992 by Walter Guggenberger (SPÖ), Andreas Hörtnagl (ÖVP) and Andreas Maislinger (non-party) to raise awareness about

900-614: Was awarded with a Lifetime Achievement Award for " his 10 year fight to obtain official recognition of alternative, philanthropic service " at the Annual Dinner of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust together with Holocaust survivor and producer of Schindler's List Branko Lustig . On 2 October 2012 Andreas Maislinger was awarded the Ordre national du Mérite issued by the president of France Nicolas Sarkozy in

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