In addition to FPÖ city councillor René Schimanek from Langenlois, his brother Hansjörg has also been charged. Meanwhile, in Germany, the trial of the so-called “Saxon Separatists” is set to begin on January 23. Hansjörg’s sons, Jörg and Jörn, are among the defendants in Dresden. The record of a house search connected to this case, carried out at the Kronsegg forester’s lodge, paints a disturbing picture.
The indictment against Langenlois FPÖ city councillor René Schimanek for reengaging in National Socialist activities has been filed, and new details have now emerged. According to the search report dated November 7, 2024, which is available to the Lower Austrian News (NÖN), the house was virtually crammed with memorabilia from the Nazi era. René Schimanek was the main tenant of the property.
Investigators found 58 “critical objects”
On a living-room bookshelf, investigators discovered books such as The Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front, One People, One Reich, One Führer, Return to the Reich, and a German Reader for Boys. State security officers found a bust of Adolf Hitler, a portrait of Heinrich Himmler, and an armband bearing the SS emblem. In total, 58 critical items were seized, including a bayonet and two daggers, one inscribed with “My Honor Is Loyalty” and the other bearing a swastika.
Alongside soft-air guns and historical ammunition, anti-aircraft shell casings and hand grenade detonators were found. There was also military equipment, backpacks with “tactical contents,” a “tactical vest,” a toolkit for preparing explosives, and five historical field telephones. Scattered throughout the house were soldiers’ photographs and portraits from World War II, including that of an SS soldier.
One photograph shows a person raising their hand in a Hitler salute; others display swastikas. A “stormtrooper” figurine decorated the living-room bookshelf. A doll bearing Nazi slogans was seized, as were vinyl records, including speeches by Hitler and other Nazi leaders. On the wall hung a chart titled “The Organization of the NSDAP.”
Investigators also found a drawing featuring a Jewish star labeled “Extermination of the Jews,” placed next to toy trucks. One truck bore the inscription “Auschwitz-Birkenau Express,” another the slogan “Worldwide over 6 million satisfied customers.”
FPÖ councillor René Schimanek, like his brother Hansjörg, who is also charged with Nazi reactivation offenses, had unrestricted access to the premises.
“City councillor Schimanek is a burden for Langenlois”
Journalist and author Othmar Pruckner from the Langenlois initiative “Dialogue and Democracy,” which promotes open discussion and highlights “political boundary violations,” commented: “No one should be prejudged. And ultimately, it doesn’t even matter whether the criminal offense of Nazi reactivation is legally fulfilled or not. But a politician in whose house such an amount of Nazi memorabilia, weapons, and ammunition is found is a burden for the community. René Schimanek should show decency and immediately resign his city council position.”
Confronted by NÖN with Pruckner’s demand, city councillor René Schimanek responded: “This is an ongoing legal proceeding, so I will not comment at this time.”
For all individuals mentioned, the presumption of innocence applies.
