Matthew Berg - Denunciation in Service of Democratization? The SPÖ’s »Referat zur Liquidierung des Nazismus« at the Birth of the Second Republic

Is there a fundamental difference between denunciation—with its malicious and spiteful connotations and association with authoritarian regimes—and informing authorities of scofflaws associated with those very violent and antidemocratic regimes once such systems have been toppled? Matthew Berg argues that a range of challenges during the initial postwar months made reinforcement of the Verbotsgesetz challenging for the provisional government. In the absence of its consistent application, this ad hoc SPÖ agency represented a stopgap measure intended to buttress steps towards transitional justice and post-conflict reconstruction of civil society and political culture. Denunciation, regardless of the social and political system, regardless of the era, has invariably involved anonymous tips to authorities about someone’s ostensibly aberrant behavior. In his lecture, Berg contends that reports submitted to the SPÖ’s RLN were not simple examples of the ends justifying the means. Rather, exposing those who flaunted denazification measures, within the framework of a law that would punish them without violating their fundamental human rights, was a meaningful, empowering step towards regime change during the first months of the new Austrian republic.

Matthew Berg is affiliated with the Program in Peace, Justice and Human Rights at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. His research focus is the founding years of the Austrian Second Republic, between 1945–1955.

In cooperation with Fulbright Austria