Alfred Hrdlicka’s Memorial against War and Fascism (1988/91) poignantly contradicts Robert Musil’s bon mot regarding the invisible nature of monuments. Yet, should this be a reason for its acclaim? This chapter reflects on why Hrdlicka’s monument came into existence at a specific moment in time and shows why the socio-political climate of the 1980s influenced its prominent placement in one of Vienna’s most prominent public spaces. Coming into existence during a period when the monument genre was under intense scrutiny, Hrdlicka chose to embrace a figurative mode of expression, ensuring his multi-faceted work remains noticeable. Nonetheless, the representation of the Jewish figure—portrayed stereotypically as the eternal victim—continues to be a subject of contention till today. While we recognize the memorial’s strengths, we emphasize the profound concerns arising from the portrayal of the humiliated Jew. Our discussion concludes with an analysis of Ruth Beckermann’s intervention, The Missing Image (2015), shedding light on the evolution of Austrian memory culture over the years. Paradoxically, while Hrdlicka’s contentious memorial endures, Beckermann’s much acclaimed intervention has been dismantled, leaving behind no physical markers of a transformed Austrian commemorative landscape.