From the courtroom

Only fine after Hitler salute at snack stand

The incident at the sausage stand in Hohenems had repercussions for the defendant almost ten years later.(Bild: Chantall Dorn)

Almost ten years after the incident, a 51-year-old man had to answer to the provincial court in Feldkirch on Monday for reoffending.

The accused admitted that there had been an incident at a snack stand in Hohenems in 2015. However, the incident happened so long ago that he could not remember the details, said the 51-year-old, who had been living abroad for years, during the trial.

According to the indictment, the man had initially sworn at police officers and refugees at the sausage stand and then shouted "Heil Hitler". With sentences such as "Hang the Nobel Prize on Adolf Hitler! Raise the red flag with the swastika", he glorified Adolf Hitler and even showed the forbidden flag to a guest. The police then came to the man's house and found an intact Russian tank grenade and ammunition for a machine gun during a search.

Terrible experiences and alcohol addiction
Almost ten years later, the accused is now facing charges of National Socialist reactivation and violating the Weapons Act. "To understand the story, you have to know that my client spent ten years on foreign missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan," explains defense lawyer Martin Rützler. The terrible experiences then led to the accused becoming addicted to alcohol. His client admits that he was politically right-wing at the time.

In the meantime, he had traveled the world for several years and met many great people. As a result, he has treated himself, emphasizes the now 51-year-old. "I no longer have anything to do with the attitudes of that time. I live with my seriously ill mother and look after her. I have become a different person."

Despite the guilty verdict, Judge Theo Rümmele ended up causing a sensation in Vorarlberg. Instead of the usual "harsh sentence", the defendant gets off with a diversion. This means that he remains blameless and only has to pay a fine of 320 euros.