Erstmals nach sechs Jahren ist die Zahl der Morde aus fremdenfeindlichen Motiven in Russland gesunken. Doch Neo-Nazi-Gruppen greifen jetzt auch Staatseinrichtungen an.

Im Jahre 2009 sind laut einer Untersuchung des Analysezentrums “Sowa” (Die Eule) in Russland 70 Menschen von nationalistischen und rechtsradikalen Tätern ermordet worden. 2008 lag die Zahl bei 109 Ermordeten. Gleichzeitig werde auf staatlicher Ebene das Problem ernst genommen, so die Vizesirektorin von Sowa, Galina Koschewnikowa, in Radio Swoboda. (more…)

HITLER and LENIN – their opposing ideologies would be a central part of the most destructive military clash of the 20th century.
But here the battleground was just a chessboard. This remarkable picture supposedly shows Adolf Hitler pitting his wits against Vladimir Lenin. And its owners claim it is based on a real chess game between the men 100 years ago.
While historians have cast doubt on its authenticity, the family which owns the picture is convinced they can prove it is genuine. The image is said to have been etched in Vienna by Hitler’s art teacher, Emma Lowenstramm. It is also said to be signed on the reverse by the men who would go on to lead their respective nations. Hitler was a 20-year-old jobbing artist in the city in 1909 and Lenin – twice his age – was in exile from Russia. The house where they apparently played the game belonged to a prominent Jewish family.
In the run-up to the Second World War the family fled and gave many of their possessions, including the etching and chess set, to their housekeeper. (more…)

MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) – Three watercolor paintings by Adolf Hitler will go under the hammer at an auction to be held in Bavaria on September 5.
Three landscapes by the Nazi dictator are to go on sale at a Weidler auction with a starting price of 3,000-3,500 euros each, the Nuernberger Nachrichten said. Before going into politics, Hitler twice unsuccessfully attempted to enter the Vienna arts academy. Hitler mostly painted postcards and advertisements, but also managed to sell a few of his watercolors. In 2006, 21 pictures authored by Hitler were found in Belgium. In April 2006, two of his watercolors were sold to an unknown buyer for 32,000 euros.
LONDON (The Independent) As a German auction house prepares to sell off three of Adolf Hitler’s watercolours, new evidence has emerged suggesting that the Nazi leader remained convinced he was an artistic genius and was often irritatingly obsessed by art despite his failure as a painter. (more…)

Morning post brought newsletter from Vienna communist party with protest against demonstrative and exposure of corn-flowers in suit lapels by FPÖ members, pointing out to the fact that corn-flower was symbol popular among national-socialists in 1938. The demonstration of Nazi symbols is forbidden in Austria, so I can justify my public sexual arousal about Strache in military uniform only by anti-fascist objections of my designer activity. But if Mr. Strache could have something against this picture, I would delete it.

KPÖ (Wien) – Im Jahr 2006 erschienen die gewählten Abgeordneten der FPÖ zur ersten Sitzung des Nationalrates mit einer Kornblume am Revers. Die Kornblume war in Österreich im 19. Jahrhundert Markenzeichen der so genannten “alldeutschen Bewegung” von Georg Ritter von Schönerer. Nach dem Verbot der NSDAP durch Dollfuss im Jahre 1933 wurde sie das Symbol der illegalen Nazis vor dem “Anschluss” an Deutschland im Jahre 1938. (more…)

Heinz-Christian Strache, who by education is a dental technician, has been active in local politics in Vienna since 1991.
Snapshots taken from a video in the late 80s were published in January 2007 showing a uniformed Strache participating in paramilitary training activities. Other people on the pictures were claimed to be known neo-nazis. Strache has denied that, claiming the pictures are of him playing Gotcha.
At the end of January, further pictures were published, showing Strache performing a Nazi salute (the Kühnen salute). Strache denied the allegations prior to publication of the pictures. After publication, Strache argued that the picture showed him ordering three beers and was not a Nazi salute.