Major scandal: swastikas found and Jewish cemetery set ablaze in Vienna

On Wednesday evening, the Jewish section of Vienna's Central Cemetery was set on fire, resulting in severe damage to the vestibule of the ceremonial hall. The outer walls of the cemetery were defaced with swastikas.

Emergency services were alerted of the incident just after 2 p.m. Eastern Time, according to Fire Department spokesman Gerald Schimpf. He clarified that the fire could have started during the late evening hours. OE24, an Austrian newspaper, reported that an annex of the domed building, known as the ceremonial hall, was affected. Nevertheless, the flames largely put themselves out. The fire brigade worked to extinguish the remaining embers and ventilate the smoke-filled rooms.

Furthermore, the external walls of the Jewish section of the cemetery were vandalized with orange-painted swastikas, and the name 'Hitler' had also been written. Although there was "significant" property damage reported by the authorities, the graves remain accessible for visitors.

Investigators from the National Criminal Police and officials from the State Office for Protection of the Constitution and Counter Terrorism were deployed to the scene. "The Protection of the Constitution Office is already conducting intensive investigations in all possible directions following the incident at the Central Cemetery," the State Police Command in Vienna announced on an undisclosed platform. The means in which the perpetrators accessed the cemetery grounds at night currently remains unknown.

Austria's Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen publicly expressed his deep shock regarding the incident. "The number of anti-Semitic incidents taking place in Austria has notably increased in recent weeks. This has to stop," he wrote on X. By declaring "'Never more' is a specific mandate for all of us," Van der Bellen emphasized that Austria must ensure the safety of Jews. He also added, "There is no room for anti-Semitism or hatred in our society."