On September 12, 1683, a Christian Coalition led by King John III Sobieski defeated the Turks at the gates of Vienna, thus saving Christendom.
Venimus, vidimus, Deus vincit, the Polish monarch wrote in a letter to Pope Innocent XI.
“We came, we saw, God conquered.”
Historian Filip Mazurczak wrote in the Catholic World Report that: “While equestrian statues of Sobieski can be found throughout Poland, there is not one in the Austrian capital, honouring the King who lifted the Ottoman siege of the city.”
CITY FEARS MONUMENT WOULD “FAN ISLAMOPHOBIC SENTIMENTS”
For years, this conscious omission was the result of the chauvinistic attitude of many Austrians who loathed the Poles.
Today, opposition to commemorating this devout Catholic saviour of Western civilisation is due to concerns over political correctness.
Vienna’s authorities have ultimately decided against installing a monument to the city’s liberator, saying it would fan “Islamophobic and anti-Turkish sentiments.”
Left-wing Viennese city councilor Veronica Kaup-Hasler said it would create a space for “xenophobic agitation”.
“Today, Sobieski’s monument must be a sign of peace and international accord, rejecting triumphant rhetoric,” she added.
KING’S VIENNA VICTORY HALTED ISLAMIC EXPANSION INTO EUROPE
The monument was to be set up at the top of Vienna’s Kahlenberg hill, from where King John led the charge against the encampment of the Ottoman Turkish besiegers under the command of Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa.
His victory halted Turkish expansion into Europe and began the slow 150-year-long process of pushing the Ottoman Empire out of Hungary and the Balkans.
The platform for the monument was erected on the Kahlenberg hill back in 2013, with the monument by Polish sculptor Czesław Dźwigaj completed in 2018.
However, the 8-metre-tall, 3-tonne sculpture remains on display in the southern Polish city of Krakow.
DISPUTE ESCALATES INTO A DIPLOMATIC STAND-OFF
The rejection of the monument has escalated into a diplomatic stand-off.
“The city of Vienna promised us the monument,” Polish ambassador Zenon Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
The intention, he stressed, remains unchanged: To erect it at its historical location on the Kahlenberg hill.
The ambassador pointed to existing memorials in the Austrian capital, including those commemorating Che Guevara and even a Stalin plaque.
He questioned why a Christian king credited with saving Vienna should be treated differently.
“THE CITY OF VIENNA OWES SOMETHING TO KING JOHN”
Vienna officials have argued that Sobieski is already commemorated, citing a memorial at Kahlenberg, as well as streets and squares bearing his name.
The ambassador dismissed that claim, saying: “That is just a pedestal, the inscription is barely readable.”
“The city of Vienna owes something to Sobieski,” he asserted.
Austria’s largest opposition party, the right-wing Freedom Party, maintained: “Over the years, the city’s red [left-wing] government has repeatedly promised that the monument would be built.”
REJECTION OF HONOUR LABELLED “A SCANDALOUS, PAINFUL FARCE”
“New, completely outrageous excuses were continually presented as to why construction was being delayed.”
“They will simply break their word if they no longer want to keep their promise.”
The Freedom Party called the situation “scandalous” and a “painful farce” — based on “flimsy ideological pretexts.”
The European Conservative writes: “The decision to cancel Sobieski is part of a broader pattern among Western European leaders who appear increasingly uncomfortable with openly Christian symbols, while going to great lengths to avoid upsetting Muslim communities.”
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