Irminsul printed

Automatically saved draft

Hans Jörg Schimanek during a TV discussion on the occasion of the state election in Lower Austria in March 2008

(Bild: APA/Georg Hochmuth, Wikipedia, Krone KREATIV)

An SS symbol (see picture above) is said to have been printed on the obituary of former FPÖ provincial councillor Hans Jörg Schimanek, who died shortly before Christmas. It is also said to contain a quote widely used in right-wing extremist circles.

As "profil" reported on Tuesday, the words "... and the glory of the dead lives forever" were printed next to the so-called Irminsul, an early medieval shrine that was also considered a symbol of the "SS ancestral heritage".

According to the Documentation Center of Austrian Resistance (DÖW), the saying comes from the "Edda", presumably from the 13th century, where tales of Germanic gods and heroes can be found.

National Socialists often appropriated the songs and prose for themselves. The slogan was used to portray fallen soldiers as heroes and to justify the wars of the Nazi regime.

"Counter-symbol to the Christian cross" 
Behind it was an Irminsul, a "counter-symbol to the Christian cross", writes "profil". The Irminsul was also a symbol of the SS research institution "Deutsches Ahnenerbe", also known as "SS-Ahnenerbe". The institution was significantly involved in the Nazi art theft and carried out brutal human experiments in concentration camps.

First blue provincial councillor in Lower Austria
Schimanek was the first FPÖ provincial councillor in Lower Austria from 1993 to 1999, a member of the provincial parliament until 2000 and also provincial party chairman of the FPÖ Lower Austria from 1998 to 2000. He was expelled from the party in 2005.

Candidate for the FPÖ in the 2024 national elections
Schimanek was district chairman for the Krems-Land district at the time. He then joined the BZÖ. The former ORF journalist ran again for the FPÖ in the National Council election in September 2024, coming 70th.