HGM Reactions: Greens Demand Suspension of Director Ortner

The Greens use the “devastating result” of the Court of Accounts report on the Museum of Military History as an opportunity to “demand the immediate suspension of Director Ortner.” According to culture spokesperson Eva Blimlinger “there is no way to avoid a suspension” of director M. Christian Ortner. The SPÖ renews the call to withdraw the HGM from the Ministry of Defense, and NEOS also advocates for integration into federal museums.

The Greens hold former Defense Ministers Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) and Mario Kunasek (FPÖ) responsible. “Defects, grievances, and machinations perfectly characterize the situation at the Army History Museum. If the Court of Auditors suspects possible criminally relevant events, there really must be a fire on the roof. The grievances identified in the museum’s management are so serious that there is probably no way to pass an Ortner suspension, “Green Culture spokeswoman Eva Blimlinger said in a broadcast on Friday.

People around the warehouses at the Zwölfaxing garrison site are particularly outraged. “It is incomprehensible that there is a warehouse with an automatic cannon in operation and an armored personnel carrier in operation, the existence of which the director allegedly knew nothing and that both were only closed with a padlock. If that war material is stored without collateral, represents a danger to them The general public, especially if no one realizes the loss, “said David Stögmüller, spokesman for national defense at the Green Parliamentary Club.

SPÖ cultural spokesperson Thomas Drozda stated in a broadcast on the HGM’s rapid split from the Defense Ministry: “The armed forces perform important tasks, but running a museum is not one of them.” Defense Minister Tanner’s assurances that she now wants to implement the Court of Auditors’ recommendations come “too late” for Drozda: “The train has gone, it has failed in the reform efforts promised to the HGM and it should transfer the museum to the department of culture “. So Drozda renewed his demand that the HGM be seen in the context of the house of history. “A whole new concept, a new administration, a new structure and a new departmental responsibility are needed, ideally as part of a federal museum reform based on the White Paper recommendations.”

In any case, what the Court of Auditors shows in its report is speechless. “It seems that the director of the Ortner museum ran the house as if it were his personal collection of devotional objects, did business with himself and established his own clubs in the direction of HGM.” The task now is to clear up all these allegations, especially those of criminal relevance.

“The Defense Ministry must quickly address the identified deficiencies,” NEOS responded to the publication. “There is an urgent need for action, especially in the area of ​​leadership and compliance management,” Douglas Hoyos, chairman of the court committee and NEOS national defense spokesman, said in a broadcast.

“It is also likely that there is a huge communication problem. I cannot explain otherwise how bunkers with spare armor parts in the HGM area have not been reported to the responsible authorities for 75 years.” The criminal investigation of the facts is, therefore, the logical consequence, says the president of the Audit Office. NEOS culture spokesperson Sepp Schellhorn emphasized: “The fact that about three letters from Schiele can no longer be found, or that there is also no complete overview of the collection, shows that the responsible ministry is likely to be seen overwhelmed. Therefore, it must be checked whether the HGM should be incorporated into the federal museums. “