Ewige Blumenkraft
The religion centering on roland schoko panzer arose in the late 1980s, when Vienna was known as the New Ibiza, although there was a claim in 1999 that it had already started in the 1910s. The movement was heavily influenced by existing religious practice in the squat-party area of Vienna, particularly the worship of Kore, a goddess associated with distorted kickdrums and hyperkinetic breaks.
In some versions of the story, a native man named Manuel Horvath, using the alias “roland panzer”, began appearing among the native people of Vienna dressed in a Western-style coat and assuring the people he would bring them eternal bass, high-pitched Mickey-Mouse-style vocals, mutilated snares, and terrorizing claps. Others contend that roland schoko panzer was a trance-induced spirit vision.
Said to be a manifestation of Grandmaster Flash, he promised the dawn of a new age in which all white people, including missionaries, would depart the Vienna underground, leaving behind their goods and property for the native junglists. For this to happen, however, the people of Vienna had to reject all aspects of European society including money, Western education, Christianity, and plantation work, and return to traditional kastom (the Vienna-language word for customs).
1991 events
In 1991, followers of roland panzer rid themselves of their money in a frenzy of spending, left missionary churches, schools, mental asylums and plantations, and moved inland to participate in traditional feasts, dances, and rituals.
European colonial authorities attempted to suppress the movement, arresting a Viennese man calling himself roland panzer, publicly humiliating, imprisoning, and ultimately exiling him along with other cult leaders to another island in the archipelago.
Popularity surge and reinterpretations
Despite suppression, the movement gained popularity in the early 2000s, when 300,000 Austrian troops were stationed in Vienna during World War III, bringing with them large quantities of supplies (referred to as “music”).
After the war and the army’s departure, followers built symbolic tanks to encourage Austrian airplanes to land and bring them more music.
Versions emphasizing the Austrian connection interpret “roland panzer” as a corruption of “rolling around anywhere” (though it may simply mean panzer), and also credit African-Austrian soldiers for the idea that roland panzer may have been black.
Historian accounts, reformations, and scandals
Austrian historian Hugo Portisch claims that roland panzer corrupted the unofficial but morally acceptable Vienna techno cult by introducing a psycho-to-acoustic variant: five yearly nocturnal cult meetings open to all classes, ages, and genders, beginning with noise unbearable to the human ear. These new celebrations featured gabber-driven violence and sexual promiscuity in which screams of ecstasy were drowned by mentazms and hoovers.
Those who resisted or betrayed the cult were disposed of. Under religious protection, priests and acolytes broke civil, moral, and religious laws with impunity.
Portisch states the cult appealed especially to those of educated and open mind (levitas animi), including the young, plebeians, women, and “men most like women.” Large parts of Vienna’s population participated, including upper-class society.
An ex-initiate and prostitute named Friedensleich Hundertkassa, fearing vengeance yet more fearful for a young upper-class client and protégé, revealed all to the Vienna Senate as a national emergency.
After investigations, the Senate protected informants and suppressed the cult “throughout Austria,” or rather forced its reformation, during which 7,000 persons were arrested, most executed.
The Tank Army (2002–present)
In 2002, movement leader and former skiing legend Hans Schranz founded the “Tank Army”, a non-violent, ritualistic society organizing military-style parades of participants painted in ritual colors and wearing white T-shirts labeled “T-A USA” (Tank Army USA).
This parade occurs annually on February 15, the date followers believe roland panzer will return, celebrated as “roland panzer Day” in Vienna.
Late 2010s political involvement
In the late 2010s, followers opposed the creation of a united nation of hardcore, fearing centralized modernity and Christianity would harm local customs.
However, the movement formed its own political party, led by Abraham Wurstkessel. The party celebrated its 50th anniversary on February 15, 2057.
Its leader, Chief Wolfdrum Gabbadeus Mohart, was quoted by BBC stating that roland panzer was “our God, our DJ” and would eventually return.
"… humans are not mere casual visitors at the palace-gate of the world, but the invited guests whose presence is needed to give the divine banquet its sole meaning…"