Over 40 per cent of Austrians believe that the Nazi era wasn’t "all bad", according to an opinion poll published last week. The survey was carried out ahead of the 75th anniversary of the country’s annexation by the Nazi Germany in March 1938. Fifty-seven per cent of the 500 respondents believed that "there was nothing positive about the Hitler era" but 61 percent indicated that they wanted a "strong leader" at the helm of Austria. A similar survey in 2008 found just a fifth of Austrians could imagine having "a strong leader who does not have to worry about a parliament or elections."
Also, 54 percent of respondents were of the opinion that if there was no legislation prohibiting the neo-Nazi parties, they would be successful in elections. Finally, 61 per cent indicated that they thought the country’s Nazi past had been adequately dealt with, while 39 per cent disagreed with that statement.
Opinions remain similarly divided when it comes to the compensation of Nazi victims. 57 percent of respondents thought that "the victims of this injustice or their descendants have been adequately compensated", whereas 42 percent believed that wasn’t the case.
On 12 March 1938, Hitler’s troops entered Austria and were welcomed by many who supported his ideology. In the latest poll, 53 per cent thought the so-called Anschluss (annexation) was voluntary and 46 percent saw Austria as Hitler's victim.
