All-clear after a large-scale operation at the ORF Center on Küniglberg in Vienna-Hietzing: A truck driver had blocked the entrance around 5:00 AM on Tuesday and told responding officers there was a bomb in the truck’s cargo. The 53-year-old man was arrested, and the area was cordoned off, said police spokesperson Philipp Haßlinger. Both the truck and the surrounding area were searched, but no explosive device was found. The operation ended at 10:30 AM.

The 53-year-old was taken to a detention facility, with his questioning scheduled for later in the day. The exact motive behind the bomb threat remains unclear. The Austrian national is already known to authorities: In December 2024, he had parked a truck near Heldenplatz to draw attention to a book. Since there was no threat involved at that time, he was only issued a fine under administrative law.

He had handwritten a reference to a book on the side of the truck: “KULLMANN WISSEN WILTON KLIMAWANDELade” along with an email address. Wilton Kullmann, an author of esoteric books in the 1990s and 2000s, has written about “Earth and star rays” and their effects.

The State Protection and Extremism Prevention Office (LSE) is investigating the man. An initial review indicates that he likely does not come from radical environmental or climate activist circles and is not associated with right-wing extremist groups. It remains unclear whether he will be temporarily placed in a forensic therapeutic facility.

The ORF Center itself was not closed, but parts of the building were evacuated. Nearby buildings were also temporarily evacuated, and several streets were blocked. The Ministry of the Interior’s Special Units Bomb Disposal Service, along with the dog unit and explosives experts, were on site. Emergency services provided assistance to three nearby residents who were overwhelmed by the intensity of the operation.