Nazi-era 'props', gun replica seized in Vienna
January 30, 2021
Austrian police said on Saturday said they were investigating a Hungarian man after a trove of Nazi-related items was found at his Vienna home.
The 46-year-old man cooperated with the anti-terrorism police units during the apartment search, showing them to a wooden box in his bedroom where he kept the banned objects. He referred to the items as his "collection" and "props" needed for his work as an extra, officials said in a statement.
Among other things, police found hand grenades, including two stick grenades widely used by the German army during World War II. The man said he had obtained the props by buying them at flea markets or from traders specializing in weapons mock-ups. He had also searched for the objects himself with a metal detector. A specialized police unit confirmed that the objects were harmless.
The police also discovered an MP-40 submachine gun complete with ammo, alongside daggers and helmets. Other banned objects included the Swastika symbols, Hitler busts, flags and books.
Possession of such objects in illegal in Austria which, following the 1938 "annexation" by Nazi Germany, became a stronghold of the ideology until the end of World War II. Modern Germany also has an array of bans on Nazi symbols.
The Hungarian national has been indicted amid an ongoing investigation, authorities said.