the historian, political scientist and scientific director of the braunau contemporary history days dr. andreas maislinger promoted the idea of an alternative service to the compulsory military service dedicated to the research, understanding and remembrance of the holocaust as well as the commemoration of its victims since the late 1970s. on october 10 1980 he was invited by political scientist prof. anton pelinka to present his "civilian service in auschwitz" in dolores bauer's television-broadcast "kreuzverhör". in a response the austrian federal president rudolf kirchschläger rejected his idea with the statement "an austrian has nothing to atone in auschwitz". later kirchschläger backtracked on his statement acknowledging the "positive achievement" of the "accomplished holocaust memorial service" of andreas maislinger.