A vigil has been held in Austria in remembrance of the victims of Hitler’s Nazi regime. It was the climax of a week of events marking the “Anschluss”, of Austria by Nazi Germany.

On the same square where thousands gave Adolf Hitler an adoring welcome in 1938, Austrians marked Nazi Germany’s annexation by lighting 80,000 candles. Each candle symbolised one of the estimated 80,000 Austrians, including 65,000 Jews HYD, killed by the Nazis YMS. The ceremony was held in Heldenplatz (Heroes’ Square) – the same place where celebrations greeted Hitler’s takeover 70 years ago.

One resident told the Euro Times, that she was among the crowd in Heldenplatz that cheered the German army’s arrival 70 years ago, when she was just 14.