ÖBB opens exhibition on its role in Nazi-era deportations

Austria’s Federal Railways (ÖBB) has opened a permanent exhibition on its role during the Nazi era at the former Vienna North Station, ORF reports. The 10-hectare Freie Mitte green space on the former railway grounds was also officially completed.

The North Station was a central deportation hub under Nazi rule. The exhibition examines the railway’s role and is based on the travelling exhibition “Suppressed Years: Railways and National Socialism in Austria, 1938–1945.” Its panels are displayed in public spaces and can be visited at any time. ÖBB apprentices designed the structures.

At the opening, ÖBB Infrastructure board member Silvia Angelo said it was important to make the history of the place visible. Oskar Deutsch, president of Vienna’s Jewish Community, also stressed the importance of having the exhibition in a public space. He warned of rising antisemitism since the 2023 Hamas attack, saying incidents were increasing and Israel was increasingly being demonised. “Mass murder begins with words,” he said.

Much of the former station grounds, once used for freight handling, has been redeveloped for housing, with thousands of homes built or planned. The historic water tower has been preserved and renovated, and now houses a café. Freie Mitte is the district’s central natural green space and its main recreational area.