by Wolfram Schrems
"Dollfuss was not a dominant figure in a Europe that was overshadowed by Hitler and Mussolini and Stalin and a sleeping Baldwin. But among all these men he brought the noblest character to his high office, he went against the most overwhelming superiority with the greatest courage and yet he met the most tragic end. He also encountered the worst slander. (...) This distortion has therefore taken place, because what is considered to be a confused time of history, actually is a one-sided historiography. (...) But almost all his former enemies spread throughout the West weighed their arguments against him in a tirade, which is particular to the intellectuals of the left, and with the frantic energy that is understandable for refugees." 1
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the murder of the hero Chancellor and has given the diverse and permanent soiling of his memory by secular and Church authorities, this has earned him a few words of tribute, and rebuke to those who deserve reproof.
Defilement of Memories
The defilement of memories of one of the most important Austrian statesmen was made drastically apparent in the paint bomb attack on the Dollfuss-relief in the tower chapel of Vienna's Michael Church about four years ago. The Congregation of Salvatorians, which oversee the Church has not made this sacrilege public - for whatever reason. Unfortunately, it has become common for Church desecration simply move on to the agenda. Maybe you might encourage a copycat with by mentioning the incident.
But this is a false calculation. Attacks on churches are getting worse.
In the case of the Salvatorians they will also have played into the symbolic of the madness of the current church scene - as is very strongly associated with the Viennese social democracy. After all, the Salvatorian Albert P. Gabriel on April 12, 2013, received the Prof. Dr. Julius Tandler medal from the hands of Councillor Sonja Wehsely (http://www.donaucitykirche.at/2013/04/ehrung-unseres- pater-albert-gabriel / , with the wife of the City Councillor: http://www.salvatorianer.at/content/site/home/ueberuns/article/722.html ). (For those readers who are less familiar with Austrian contemporary history, for information: Julius Tandler, 1869-1936, was a native of Moravia, a doctor of Jewish origin, who was as a professor of medicine and social democratic member of the Vienna State Government with sociomedical pioneering achievements, but at the same time was for the sterilization or destruction "life unworthy of life" and thus favored the "euthanasia" of the Nazi regime. He died as a consultant for hospital reforms in Moscow, one notes [!] in Stalin's time. So one is not estranged to the ideological nuances in Marxism. Viennese Councillor Wehsely is a social democratic politician and vehement proponent of abortion and late term abortion.)
Emblematic of the defiling of the memory of Dollfuss are the nefarious additional panels that are displayed at the Christ the King Church in Wien - Fünfhaus and at the north portal of the Linz Cathedral (the latter in 2006). In the latter case, a willing exponent was found in a left council cathedral minister. Particularly reprehensible is the overpainting ordered on behalf of young socialists of the fresco funded by the faithful n the St. Pölten Prandtauerkirche (in 2007).
Finally, the grave of honor in the city of Vienna in Hietzinger cemetery was demoted a few years ago from the stage of a "historic tomb" (or it was said that there had never enacted in any case to a grave of honor).
The permanent rewrite of history as George Orwell in 1984 prophesied, has become a common practice.
What is it about them that they defile the memory of the martyr Chancellor?
From the Madness of Marxism and the Relationship of all Socialisms
Obviously, should under no circumstances is to be seen how much Schutzbundführer and Nazis were connected via the common socialism and especially about their common hatred of the Catholic Church and the Old Austria.
In no case should it be apparent that all totalitarian and then "modern" ideologies in the early 20th century were very similar in content and methodology.
It has been veiled at all costs, that incomprehensible atrocities in the name of Marxism had been committed until 1934, which saw two coup attempts in Austria. In 1934, it was known that there were millions of people in various occupations since the "October Revolution" in Russia, who would have to leave their lives at the instigation of Marxists of various shades: farmers, workers, citizens, officials, priests, monks. The deliberately organized famine, of which the Ukrainian Holodomor 1932/33, is only the most famous, demanded millions (!) of victims. The bloodthirsty communist revolutions in Hungary and Bavaria, respectively, in 1919 and the "modern" Red Terror in Spain with its genocide against Catholics in 1931 were known and inspired - justified - fear of anyone who saw himself as a Marxist. (By the way, it's a little known fact that on April 29th, 1919 under threat after the proclamation of the Soviet Republic in Munich, the then Nuncio Archbishop Eugenio Pacelli, later Pope Pius XII. was threatened by the Bolsheviks with death and that they were impressed by his bravery. )
All in all, we must therefore say that "democracy" is and was not the goal of Marxism, not even of Austro-Marxism. The savvy political observer especially knows the popular slogan: "Democracy - doesn't tend/ Socialism is the end." He also knows the Lenin flags that are carried around in the cultic marches on May 1st by the Young Socialists. In this respect "Social Democracy" is a somewhat misleading name (such as "people's democracy", etc.), since it is not about "democracy."
"Worker Murderer?"
There have been mendacious accusations about Dollfuss ad naseam for decades ad nauseam which stated that he was a "worker murderer". The reasoning raised for this is not entirely accurate. It is said on the one hand, that during the coup attempt in 1934 of the Republican Defense Corps or the Social Democrats, he fired upon the "workers" in February. On the other hand, he is supposed to have had the fines imposed by the court of death sentences against the revolutionaries abrogated on precisely that February (among others).
So, for the first, the police and army would not have had to shoot at the men "workers" if they had been working. That's not what they were doing, and they even shot first on state security personnel. At that point other "workers" in Vienna and elsewhere had attempted a coup. No legitimate authority can put up with something like this. Especially considering the long-standing experience and knowledge about the foreign and domestic Marxist terror - including the Palace of Justice Fire in 1927 (The Rhetoric of Social Democrat leader Otto Bauer had been so thoroughly martial with this, that he had stirred up many thousands of followers too. Even if you read about him... that he had but been hesitant in action, so that's irrelevant in this context: Bauers words were pronounced, they hung in the air and created the climate. Many felt motivated by them to class struggle and civil war) So it was that. the use of the armed forces in February 1934 amounts in moral philosophy not to "murder" but legitimate self-assertion or collective self-defense.
And on the other hand it is so that the lawfully and judicially condemned revolutionaries although it was not an act of clemency was just not a "murder".
The fact that these were mostly "workers" who acted as part of the Schutzbund, is thus purely accidental. It is also ridiculous to simply refer to a well-organized military formation or indoctrinated revolutionaries who take into account the death of many people in their plans as "workers".
Being described as "workers" is no special qualification that would place the person under protection of the natural order. All the more regrettable if there were genuine and honorable worker revolutionaries riding into great misfortune.
A Statesman of Good Will
Dollfuss was a man who felt deeply responsible for his actions before God. His original career option, namely the priesthood (which he left after a short time, feeling no match.), clearly shows this seriousness. His work as a front-line officer, as a civil servant and as a Minister and Chancellor, demonstrated dedication, hard work and public welfare. But he was clearly not perfect.
One may therefore entertain different views on aspects of the activity of Engelbert Dollfuss, you may find the May Constitution awkward and not very practical or even too restrictive for the economy (from 1 May 1934), you may like the judicial death sentences, or at least some of them (namely,as was imposed in the case of arson) criticize (as is the Catholic philosopher and convert Dietrich von Hildebrand has done against Dollfuss himself) as disproportionate, you might feel its personnel selection as partly unhappy (Major Fey, for example, remains a mysterious character, He is suspected by some even of being the chancellor's murder), but you can not fail in this great Austrian story, even if it did not operate according to changing situations, timely circumstances and contingencies, of denying good will.
Death - Moment of Truth
Finally the hour of passing over into eternity reveals the truth of life:
After Nazi bombers had shot Dollfuss (which is not likely to have been the original plan) and denying him medical attention and priestly counsel there was a final discussion:
"Stiastny reported a strangely peaceful political discussion between him and the furious rebels who stood around him. One of them, whose conscience seems to have aroused a little, accused the Chancellor, that he had finally brought upon himself what many Austrian National Socialists have suffered in distress and misery. Dollfuss replied, 'I have always sought to do the best, and what I could do, and I have always wanted peace'. As another SS man joined in the conversation and he said it stood in the Chancellor's power to bring about peace with Germany. Dollfuss looked up at the taut young faces and said quietly, children, that you do not understand.' Then came, as it seems, no answer." (Shepherd, 309f).
His last words were: "I want only to have peace. We have never attacked. We always had to defend ourselves. The Lord God will forgive them" (ibid., 311).
This model served to pass over the dead to honor. He also shows us that he had made his life in the service of good. No one can die this way and in the peace, showing that he did not want the good and was not associated with God.
Another relevant information in this context:
According to information from witness Father Josef Bauer, Hohenzell (Upper Austria), Dollfuss had received not long before his assassination in Mariazell a vision of the Mother of God or an interior locution. He was deeply shaken at the event and drove in a hurry taking a taxi to Vienna. The contents of the vision was reported and the request was to offer his life for Austria.
This sacrifice had been accepted and would therefore buy Austria four years of freedom. It would appear betokened, upon even closer investigation.
Because our urgent petition is to the ecclesiastical authority.
Beatification
MW has initiated a process of beatification after the assassination of Dollfuss, but is was not resumed after 1945. Soon after, the mood changed considerably. The Church fell during the Second Vatican Council in an optimistic noise and began almost to fraternize with their old enemies. In Austria, the Church moved under the influence of the sinister Cardinal König near the Socialists and Freemasons. Only a few more would have supported a beatification of the "anachronistic" Catholic Dollfuss.
Therefore, it would be high time to consider a beatification seriously! In my view nothing speaks against a positive outcome.
It would be fitting if Franz Jägerstätter has only been the beginning of a series of beatifications of major Austrian patriots. Besides Dollfuss, there is also missing in the representational historical context as well, the seminarian, resistance fighter and poet, Hanns-Georg Heintschel-Heinegg, Minister Hans-Karl Freiherr von Zessner-Spitzenberg, and others.
Honor to Whom honor is due
As Austrians, we can be proud of Dollfuss. We owe him a lot. If the February uprising been successful, then the Marxist hatred for the Church would probably have risen as in Spain at the same time. One should not imagine a cozy "Austro-Marxist" dictatorship.
Had Dollfuss accepted pressure from Berlin, as the glorious "democrats" ("Peace in our time" said one of these nitwits "rather Hitler than Habsburg" another), Austria would have been a lot worse today.
No, Dollfuss has saved the honor of Austria.
It was the sacrifice of his life, which led to the collapse of all historical probability, the Nazi coup. Austria was granted four years of freedom.
The glorious "West", however, left Austria in the lurch. Catholic statesmen like Dollfuss and his successor Kurt von Schuschnigg went to her supposed "anachronism" the leading political figures on both sides of the Atlantic obviously far more against the grain than the "modern" and "contemporary" politicians Hitler and Stalin (both were Time's "Man of the Year " ).
Dollfuss did not run away. He had not crept into exile. He undersigned any horse-trading with Hitler. He did not betray his convictions. He fought against both mad dictatorial systems.
"Dollfuss deserves immortality as the first foreigner who opposed Hitler openly - and as his first foreign victim" (Shepherd, p 10).
And finally:
That the left does not want to admit in its self-induced delusion that until today, I realize.
But that church officials have acted so shabbily and treacherously, is a big annoyance. I urge, therefore, to get the above mentioned measures reversed in Linz, St. Pölten and Vienna. I also call on, finally, the initiation of the beatification process for Dollfuss and to review their other ludicrous policies.
So that they may more securely reach bliss.
Text: MMag. Wolfram Schrems, Linz and Vienna, Catholic theologian and philosopher, church official, catechist
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMGD
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