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Episode

Die Mühlviertler Menschenjagd (3/3): Schweigen

Podcast
Inside Austria
Published
Dec 20, 2025
Duration seconds
2761
Processing state
processed
Canonical source
https://inside-austria.podigee.io/218-neue-episode
Audio
https://audio.podigee-cdn.net/2273526-m-39ef26afa9d9777ece2456fbb2d53c93.mp3?source=feed
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/v1/public/podcasts/inside-austria-4385468/episodes/die-m-hlviertler-menschenjagd-3-3-schweigen
Markdown
/podcast/inside-austria-4385468/die-m-hlviertler-menschenjagd-3-3-schweigen.md

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Summary

A harrowing account of the 'Mühlviertler Hasenjagd,' where SS units and local citizens hunted escaped Mauthausen prisoners in 1945. The episode follows the Langthaler family, who risked execution to hide two Soviet prisoners on their farm.

Topics

  • World War II
  • Mauthausen Concentration Camp
  • Austrian History
  • Resistance
  • War Crimes
  • National Socialism
  • Post-war Reconstruction
  • Human Rights

Highlights

  • Main idea: The 'Mühlviertler Hasenjagd' was a systematic campaign by the SS to execute escaped Mauthausen prisoners
  • Practical takeaway: The Langthaler family used strategic deception and extreme secrecy to protect fugitives under the nose of patrolling SS units
  • Failure mode: The post-war 'victim myth' in Austria led to the early pardoning of perpetrators to maintain social stability
  • Historical tension: The struggle between individual moral responsibility and the widespread societal tendency to follow lethal orders
  • Legacy: The long-term difficulty of transitioning from a narrative of national victimhood to one of acknowledging complicity

Chapters

  1. 1:00 The SS Search Begins: The SS arrives at the Langthaler farm to hunt escaped Mauthausen prisoners following a strict order to kill all fugitives.
  2. 4:30 A Dangerous Welcome: The family provides food and shelter to Michael and Nikolai, hiding them in the hayloft despite the extreme risk.
  3. 7:50 The Long Wait: The prisoners remain hidden for weeks as the family navigates the uncertainty of the war's end.
  4. 11:20 The Burden of Secrets: The psychological toll of hiding fugitives and the terrifying possibility of having to bury a corpse to avoid detection.
  5. 14:40 Hiding the Third Man: The family extends their resistance by hiding a family member on the attic to avoid forced conscription.
  6. 18:10 Post-War Reckoning: The arrival of Soviet troops and the beginning of the investigation into the atrocities committed during the hunt.
  7. 21:40 The Politics of Forgetting: How post-war political interests in Austria favored the pardoning of Nazi perpetrators to preserve the 'victim' narrative.