Scandal in Wels

Civil servant poses with Hitler beard at magistrate’s party

The employee had himself photographed at the Wels magistrate's party with a Hitler beard glued on

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Horst Einoeder Privat)

The "Krone" newspaper has obtained a photo showing an apparently drunk employee of the Wels city council with a moustache like the one worn by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. It is said to have been taken during a party attended by hundreds of town hall employees. 

It was at this year's summer festival of the Wels city council at the beginning of July in the Wels town hall. At a late hour, employees apparently had the glorious idea of photographing one of the officials with a Hitler beard glued to his head, while a colleague tweaked his side parting in the style of the Nazi criminal. Other employees can be seen in the background.

Criminal against humanity
This picture then circulated for months in the magistrate's office and has now also been leaked to the Wels Initiative against Fascism (Antifa). "A public servant of advanced age should know, even after a few beers, that it is disgusting to appear as a criminal against humanity," says Antifa chairman Werner Retzl, outraged. "But as the photo shows, he wasn't the only one who was amused by this."

City boss Andreas Rabl (FPÖ) is aware of the photo, but did not want to comment on it when asked by "Krone", referring instead to municipal director Peter Franzmayr as the contact person. And he confirmed that he had learned of the photo just a few days after the incident. "There was a suspicion of a breach of official duty, so I initiated an investigation."

Interrogations
The person pictured and other officers still recognizable from the photo were questioned about the incident. "The employee concerned justified himself by saying that he was already so drunk at the time that he hadn't even noticed when the beard was glued to him." His colleagues also confirmed that the man was anything but sober.

Franzmayr points out that the theme of the party was Mexico and that many visitors had come with glued-on beards. "Unfortunately, it was just as difficult to find out who trimmed this beard as it was to identify the person who pulled the top of his head."

Alcohol counseling
The employee's responsibility was credible to him. In any case, the officer was reprimanded under employment law and had to undergo mandatory alcohol counseling. "He completed this." 

It had already become known in September of this year that a high-ranking lawyer from the Wels municipal authority had allegedly shouted "foreigners out" and given the Hitler salute at a wedding party. However, an internal magistrate's investigation was soon dropped. The public prosecutor's office is still investigating.