Gedenktafel für Rudolf Kunst

Gedenktafel für Rudolf Kunst is a memorial plaque in Linz, Austria, set in the courtyard of the former Hotel Schiff. The building once housed Linz’s Social Democratic Party headquarters. Here, the courtyard preserves the site of a crucial confrontation from Austria’s political history.

On 12 February 1934, police entered the courtyard during a planned search for Schutzbund weapons. Officials redirected the operation from Parkbad after overhearing a telephone call. Rudolf Kunst, a Schutzbund machine gunner, opened fire when the officers arrived. Armed clashes then spread through Linz between the Schutzbund and police, army, and Heimwehr forces. Kunst died during the fighting, which continued throughout the day and formed part of the Austrian Civil War.

The inscription honours victims and fighters for freedom and justice, connecting Kunst’s death with democracy. It also reflects on sacrifice and the hope that history will not repeat itself. Since 1989, Ebelsberg has had a street bearing Rudolf Kunst’s name. Alongside other antifascist memorials, this courtyard links one person’s final stand with Linz’s wider memory of political conflict.