This entry details the founding of the 'Neuer Klub' in 1957 as a successor organization to the 'Deutscher Klub,' examining its personnel continuity and historical context. It explores the political background, the activities of its founders, and the club's evolution as a meeting point for former members and intellectuals, highlighting its complex legacy.
The 'Neuer Klub,' founded in 1957 in Vienna and Salzburg, emerged as a successor organization to the 'Deutscher Klub,' which had been a central entity in the deutschnational scene and a proponent of the 1938 'Anschluss.' Despite the dissolution of the 'Deutscher Klub' during the Nazi regime, many of its members held prominent positions. The founding figures of the 'Neuer Klub'—Erich Führer, Franz Hueber, and Karl Anton Rohan—were not only members of the 'Deutscher Klub' until its end but also active in the national socialist movement. Führer joined the NSDAP and SS in the early 1930s and held significant roles post-war. Hueber, Hermann Göring's brother-in-law, served as a short-term Minister of Justice under Seyß-Inquart. Rohan, while less successful politically post-1938, maintained ties with reconciliation efforts between National Socialism and the Catholic-aristocratic circles.
Officially, the 'Neuer Klub' presents itself as an 'apolitical association' that invites speakers from various German-speaking regions. However, it long served as a gathering place for intellectuals with connections to the past, particularly the 'Ehemaligen.' The club's online presence, linked to the 'Freiheitlicher Akademikerverband Salzburg,' has also drawn scrutiny for historical content. Until 2015, a text on racial policy that led to charges of incitement was hosted on their site. The article delves into these historical continuities and controversies, tracing the legacy of the 'Deutscher Klub' through its successor, the 'Neuer Klub,' and its complex relationship with contemporary political discourse.