“You now have better information about nuclear power plants. You are no longer alarmed when you hear about the danger of an explosion, because you know much more—and nobody can frighten you with radiation. You are familiar with the issue. Austria’s nuclear power plants make sure our power supply stays uninterrupted. They protect us from being vulnerable to extortion by oil providers, because we have Uranium here. Nuclear power plants stand for efficiency and independence.”

In the 1950s, nuclear power was understood as a way of providing an endless supply of energy. At that time, plans for the first nuclear power plant were drawn up in Austria as well.

The quote at the beginning is from a television advertisement by the Tullnerfeld Joint Venture Power Plant Ltd—the corporation that would have been responsible for the Zwentendorf nuclear power plant.

“Would have been”—because although the construction of the power plant began in 1971 and cost several billion Schillings, a referendum prevented it from ever being put into operation. It is the only building in the world that could be a nuclear power plant, but was never operated as one.

In the box below the framed posters, you can find reprints of posters, which you can take out to have a closer look at. Some are from protests against nuclear power, and others are from campaigns for it.

The decision to build the nuclear power plant was made in 1968 under a government by ÖVP, the People’s Party. Three years later when the actual construction began, it was under an SPÖ government, the Social Democrat Party.

In the mid-1970s, the public began debating if the nuclear power plant was actually an economic necessity, how dangerous it really was, and what was to be done with the radioactive nuclear waste.

These discussions indicate a change in the social climate through the social movements around 1968. During this time, awareness for ecological issues increased across the globe.

The protests came from civil society, a new concept of political involvement that went beyond traditional party lines. The anti-nuclear movement aimed to change public opinion using its own methods: demonstrations, letters to newspapers, public discussion events, and publications. This made it possible for smaller local groups to initiate public discussions about the dangers of nuclear energy.

On the wall to the left you see a hand-made sign from one of the very first small actions taken, where eight people went on a protest march through Austria to create awareness for the issue.

In 1977 the People’s Party changed its course, and withdrew its support for the construction of the power plant in Zwentendorf. The Social Democrats in government stayed their course and backed the construction, despite the mounting pressure.
The Social Democrat Youth Organization (SJ) proposed a referendum to be held, which took place on 5 November 1978. It was a considerably close call: 50.5% of all registered voters were against the power plant.

Today, the Austrian Federal Constitution prohibits taking a nuclear power plant into operation.


With an excerpt from:
Promotional film for the Nuclear Power Plant Zwentendorf, EVN.