Hitler images shared

Religious teacher and pupils on trial in Vienna

Former classmates and their teacher meet again in the large jury room.

(Bild: Sophie Pratschner, Krone KREATIV)

Because four young people sent Hitler images in WhatsApp groups that were actually intended for home schooling during the pandemic, they now find themselves in Vienna's provincial court. Next to them in the dock: Their former Islamic religious teacher, who was also part of the chat group. 

The four former pupils are now studying or doing an apprenticeship. Now they are meeting again in the main courtroom of the Vienna Regional Court. And they have to sit in the dock together with their former Islamic religion teacher. The accusation: re-activation in the sense of the Prohibition Act. 

Hitler images in home schooling group
During the coronavirus pandemic in spring 2020, the pupils had WhatsApp groups with their teacher to discuss online lessons, homework and more. But what the young people had also sent in there: four Hitler pictures with texts such as "verFÜHRERisch".

"He didn't care what happened in the group"
Public prosecutor Johannes Winklhofer charged the four young Viennese - aged between 20 and 22 - with spreading propaganda for National Socialist ideas. The real main defendant in the trial, however, is the 58-year-old religion teacher. "In colloquial terms, he didn't really care what happened in this group. He should have acted. That is his job," says Winklhofer. He had also actively provided the platform for propaganda by being the administrator of the WhatsApp groups.

Lawyer Andreas Schweitzer defends the accused imam.

(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

This is denied not only by the accused himself and his defense lawyer Andreas Schweitzer, but also by one of his former students who mentions the name of a colleague who actually created the group at the time. Lawyer Andreas Schweitzer continues: "My client certainly didn't give a damn. He was just campaigning for his pupils to have something to do during the pandemic. He didn't even see the Hitler caricatures." They were simply lost in the many chat messages. 

Chance find in another investigation
How did the charges finally come about? The trial, which is being conducted in the Vienna Regional Court, is an offshoot of Operation Luxor - a large-scale operation carried out by the Austrian police in 2020 in the fight against alleged terrorism by Muslims. The 58-year-old imam was also investigated on suspicion of terrorism - with little success. Like most of the Luxor case, this one was also dropped. However, the four satirical pictures of Adolf Hitler were found in the course of the cell phone analysis.

We didn't think about it. We were at home during the Corona period and were fooling around.

22-jährige Angeklagte studiert mittlerweile auf der WU

The two female and two male pupils also plead not guilty to the accusations of reoffending. "We didn't think about it. We were at home during the Corona period and were fooling around," a 21-year-old tries to explain. None of the young Viennese were particularly interested in or concerned about history. One 22-year-old even claims not to know what the Hitler salute is ...

After several hours of deliberation, the jury believes the pupils and acquits them of the charges brought by the public prosecutor. And the Islam teacher is also acquitted - not legally binding.