Austrian train plays Hitler speech over loudspeakeron May 15, 2023 at 11:35 am

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Staff and passengers were “upset” by the incident, for which two people have been charged.

An Austrian Federal Railways (OeBB) trainImage source, Getty Images

Travellers on an intercity train in Austria were startled on Sunday when a recording of an Adolf Hitler speech was played on board.

Instead of the normal announcements, a crowd could also be heard shouting “Heil Hitler” and “Sieg Heil” over the train’s speaker system.

The operator said there had been several such incidents in recent days.

One passenger on the Bregenz-Vienna service told the BBC that everyone on the train was “completely shocked”.

David Stoegmueller, a Green Party MP, said the speech by the Nazi German leader was played over the intercom shortly before the train, an OEBB Railjet 661, arrived in Vienna.

“We heard two episodes,” he said. “First there was 30 seconds of a Hitler speech, and then I heard ‘Sieg Heil’.”

Mr Stoegmueller said the train staff were unable to stop the recording and were unable to make their own announcements. “One crew member was really upset,” he added.

In a statement sent to the BBC, Austrian Railways (OEBB) said: “We clearly distance ourselves from the content.

“We can currently assume that the announcements were made by people directly on the train via intercoms. We have reported the matter to the police,” the OEBB said.

It is understood that complaints have been filed against two people.

Mr Stoegmueller said he had received an email from a man who was on the train with an old lady who was a concentration camp survivor. “She was crying,” he said.

He said another passenger remarked that when other countries had technical problems, it involved the air conditioning breaking down.

“In Austria, the technical problem is Hitler.”

Hitler was born in Austria, but emigrated to Germany in 1913 as a young man.

Related Topics

- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

Real Madrid 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt: Karim Benzema scores 324th goal for Real in Super Cup winon August 10, 2022 at 9:31 pm

Karim Benzema continues his Ballon d'Or pursuit with a 324th goal for Real Madrid to help them beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the Uefa Super...

Renshaw sets new British record at Olympic trialson April 15, 2021 at 7:46 pm

Molly Renshaw looks set for a place at Tokyo 2020 after winning gold and setting a new British record in the 200m breaststroke at...

Fresh snow and ice warnings issued across UKon January 15, 2023 at 8:37 pm

Snow is expected across the country, with yellow weather warnings in place across all four nations.Image source, PA MediaBy Thomas MackintoshBBC NewsTemperatures are set...

Record 430 migrants cross English Channel in single dayon July 20, 2021 at 12:18 pm

Some 50 people, including women and young children, were seen landing on a Kent beach in a dinghy.At least 430 migrants crossed the English...

Election results 2022: Lib Dem gains mark turning point, says Daveyon May 6, 2022 at 2:31 pm

Leader Sir Ed Davey has hailed wins for his party at local elections, with over 100 new councillors elected.Image source, PA MediaLiberal Democrat leader...