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Austrian Armed Forces (symbol image)
Photo:
Herbert P. Oczeret/dpa
An Austrian professional soldier ordered memorabilia with swastikas and SS runes as well as a personalized certificate with his name and the rank of "Obersturmbannfuhrer" on the Internet.
He made himself an SS uniform that he wore for walks.
He was photographed doing the Hitler salute several times.
For example in the football club, but also in his barracks in Vienna in front of comrades.
He was convicted, he had to answer to both a regional court and the federal disciplinary authority, paying a fine of almost 5,000 euros.
And yet the non-commissioned officer is allowed to stay on duty.
The army confirmed this to SPIEGEL.
First the »Kurier« had reported .
"If two government agencies decide that no dismissal is to be carried out, a dismissal of the federal army would not exist in any court," said federal army spokesman Michael Bauer.
“An official who has been sentenced to more than a year in prison is dismissed ex lege from the civil service.
However, the verdict did not exceed this limit, which is why he was not released.«
Accusation: re-activation
The soldier was accused of "reactivation in the National Socialist sense," according to the decision of the federal disciplinary authority.
The authority belongs to the Federal Chancellery, according to Bauer it has nothing to do with the Ministry of Defense.
It describes exactly what the man is accused of:
Between 2014 and 2015 he made an SS uniform which he wore at least five times.
He took photos and saved them on a disk.
Between 2017 and 2018, he displayed National Socialist badges or awards that also included a swastika.
Between 2019 and 2020 he performed the Hitler salute on several occasions.
He kept 48 blank cartridges for the 77 assault rifle in the office desk and five army firecrackers at his residence.
After the incidents became known, his supervisor initiated a dismissal in November 2021.
A security measure that prevented the man from entering the barracks, for example, as Bauer told SPIEGEL.
A disciplinary complaint was also filed with the public prosecutor's office.
The federal disciplinary authority could have issued a dismissal.
Instead, however, a disciplinary penalty in the form of money was imposed.
This is also because the man confessed to the allegations.
The text of the decision says: "He credibly protested that he was very sorry and that such unacceptable behavior would not happen again."
Alcohol as a mitigating factor
The authority also recognized as a mitigating reason that the acts should have happened under the influence of alcohol.
Even if a member of the Senate doubted that this also applies to the handicrafts of the SS uniform.
And he "probably accidentally" took the firecrackers home with him.
The tense economic situation of the accused and a serious illness of his wife did not allow for a higher punishment, it was said.
But the soldier is not allowed to go back to his old job.
He was transferred, as federal army spokesman Bauer said.
"That has to do with the fact that he has lost his reliability." The soldier is now working in an area in which he does not need this reliability.
Previously employed in information and communications technology, he could imagine official use in the field kitchen, according to the text of the decision.
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