The Waldheim Waltz

“No to Waldheim!” – such protest chants against the election of Kurt Waldheim as President of Austria could be heard in the center of Vienna in 1986. The former Secretary-General of the United Nations, with a dark Nazi past, made headlines around the world, partly because he denied it. Everything began during the Austrian presidential campaign of 1986, when Waldheim’s previously concealed membership in the Nazi SA and his military service in 1943–1944 were revealed. He was suspected of involvement in Wehrmacht war crimes in the Balkans, although he was never found guilty of any war crimes. The film reveals the background of Waldheim’s presidential campaign, which ended with his election as president in 1986. Through extensive archival materials, it reconstructs the heated debate surrounding the election. We follow excerpts from press conferences of the World Jewish Congress, analytical commentary from experts, and events linked to the anti-Waldheim movement, as well as the rise of patriotic and antisemitic sentiments in Austria. Slander, propaganda, media lies, and the distortion of historical facts created the political groundwork for Waldheim’s presidency. Although the exposure of his past led to Austria’s partial international isolation during his term and made him a persona non grata in many countries, Waldheim remained president until 1992, illustrating the paradoxes of history.