A storm of controversy is brewing in Austria after news broke that two former German left-wing terrorists are slated to appear at a high-profile, publicly funded cultural event in Vienna. The move has drawn sharp criticism from the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), which accuses the city and national broadcaster of glorifying political violence—on the public dime.
Set to take the stage during the Vienna Festival, a month-long cultural showcase backed by Vienna’s Social Democrat-run city government, are Karl-Heinz Dellwo and Gabriele Rollnik. The event is being co-hosted by Austria’s national broadcaster ORF, which also receives public funding.
Dellwo, once a member of the infamous Red Army Faction, was involved in the 1975 hostage siege at the West German Embassy in Stockholm—a deadly operation that left two people dead. Rollnik, meanwhile, was part of the June 2 Movement, another radical leftist group. She played a role in the 1975 abduction of CDU politician Peter Lorenz and the 1977 kidnapping of Austrian businessman Walter Palmers.
Critics are fuming. FPÖ General Secretary Christian Hafenecker lambasted the event, arguing it whitewashes violent extremism under the veil of cultural dialogue. “While ORF has no trouble branding conservative views as extremist,” Hafenecker said, “they’re now rolling out the red carpet for convicted terrorists.”
Organizers argue the interviews are intended to explore history and radicalism through an artistic lens, but opponents say it’s little more than taxpayer-funded hero worship.
As the Vienna Festival prepares to open its doors, the backlash highlights deeper tensions in Austria’s political landscape—where memory, art, and ideology are clashing head-on.
