Austria: Blood libel still commemorated

Via Der Standard:

Every year, around July 12th, dozens of people come to the village of Rinn (Tyrol), to commemorate the 'martyr' Andreas Oxner.  Oxner's murder in the 15th century was blamed on Jews and in the 18th century he was proclaimed a saint.

Up until the 1970s, the blood libel was still taught in local schools as fact.  In the 1980s-1990s his worship was officially banned, but it still continues in private capacity.

Among the participants are traditional Christians (the antisemitic Catholics from the Society of St. Pius X always participate) and neo-Nazis.


According to the mayor, local participation is mostly older people and so hopefully will die out in the upcoming years.