At the end of July, they marched through Vienna again: the Identitarians, flanked by old and neo-Nazis, fraternity members, and FPÖ politicians. Protected by the police and accompanied by loud counter-protests, they marched through the city center – a familiar sight for years, yet this time something was different.
Among the older faces, there were a striking number of young people. Some looked barely of age, some were still children. They call themselves “Legion Vienna,” appear in bomber jackets, with white laces in their combat boots, their heads shaved. A look reminiscent of past decades – and yet, for them, it seems brand new again.
Several hundred people follow “Legion Wien” on TikTok—but the short clips they share there are precisely tailored for viral effect: fast-paced sequences, driving electronic beats or hard rap as a soundtrack, accompanied by posing youths in skinhead outfits, scene-typical symbols including Nazi runes, and a deliberately martial imagery. They also call themselves “Legion Wien 18” on TikTok—in the far-right scene, the number code 18 stands for the initials AH, meaning Adolf Hitler, where 1 represents A and 8 H, thus enabling a veiled reference to National Socialism.
Not only is the aesthetic calculated; so are the messages. In their posts, the young neo-Nazis display a willingness to use violence; their images and gestures are both provocation and threat. Around the time of the November Pogroms of 1938, in which numerous Jews were murdered and synagogues were set on fire, they published videos in which they burned books about Judaism and Islam—accompanied by a threat: “We will burn your books again.”
All of this is part of a political spectacle that mocks historical crimes and presents itself as decidedly violent.
Similar groups in the federal states
The core group of the “Vienna Legion” numbers barely more than a dozen people, mostly male, but not exclusively, and hardly older than 16, some as young as 14, but they are not alone. Through social media and joint actions, they are closely networked with like-minded individuals in other cities: in Linz, in Graz, throughout Austria. There, the young right-wing extremists operate under names such as “Right-Wing Austrian Youth,” “Right-Wing Fist Upper Austria,” or “Division Vienna.”
The network extends beyond national borders. In Germany, too, there are now dozens of similar groups – loosely organized, but ideologically closely linked. German and Austrian neo-Nazis exchange information online, adopting each other’s aesthetics and slogans.
Far-right extremists at this year’s Identitarian demonstration in Vienna. Very young neo-Nazis were among them.
The new generation of neo-Nazis first appeared in Austria in July 2024 – also at the Identitarian demonstration in Vienna. At that time, they operated under the label “Defend Austria.” The group had a considerable online following – well over 1,000 people. Among them were young people who used Black Sun symbols or other SS symbols as their profile pictures.
Attacks and incitement
The group no longer exists after some of the neo-Nazis had run-ins with the police. Some of the activists have joined “Division Wien,” which is part of the organized neo-Nazi scene and the hooligan milieu.
The group is known for its violent attacks. They target anyone who doesn’t fit into their worldview: Jews, leftists, queer people, migrants, and the homeless. They recently released a video purportedly showing an anti-fascist being harassed by them in Vienna.
Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution: No statement
While teachers at schools are discussing teenagers in combat boots and bomber jackets, the Austrian Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (BVT), specifically the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN), remains tight-lipped. When asked whether the young neo-Nazis are under surveillance, the agency merely stated that it does not comment on specific individuals under observation “for security reasons.”
The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution takes a much clearer stance: It warns of a danger that ranges “from serious acts of violence to right-wing terrorist approaches.” (Markus Sulzbacher, November 25, 2025)
