Austria's Holocaust Remembrance: Memorials, Education, And A Dark Past

Austria has made efforts to remember the Holocaust and educate its citizens about it. The country is a member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and has founded institutions to remember and teach about the Holocaust, such as the Holocaust Education Institute of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. The National Fund of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism also continues to do educational programming, such as funding a new Austrian exhibition in the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland.

Holocaust Education Institute of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education

The Holocaust Education Institute of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, erinnern.at, was founded 20 years ago as part of Austria's new commitment to face its past. The institute supports educators in all nine Austrian federal states in teaching about the Holocaust and the crimes of National Socialism, as well as in the prevention of anti-Semitism and racism through education.

The institute was founded following the Waldheim debate, which saw Austrian society start to change aspects of its narrative and identity. Austria publicly acknowledged its responsibility for the Holocaust and founded institutions to remember and educate about the Holocaust. This process was accompanied by the voices of Holocaust survivors around the world, such as Mr Brown in Buffalo, New York, and Felix Brown, a Holocaust survivor born in Vienna.

Austria is also an active member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The National Fund of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism continues to do educational programming, such as funding a new Austrian exhibition in Block 17 of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland.

In addition to the work of the Holocaust Education Institute, the Austrian government has provided more than €180 million in nursing care payments to Holocaust survivors living abroad, and has entitled Holocaust survivors living abroad to receive benefits under the Austrian pension system.

The Austrian government's victim theory

Today, only a few Austrians still support and defend the victim theory. As part of Austria's new commitment to face its past, the country founded institutions to remember and educate about the Holocaust, such as *erinnern.at*, the Holocaust Education Institute of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. This institute supports educators in all nine Austrian federal states in teaching about the Holocaust, the crimes of National Socialism, and the prevention of anti-Semitism and racism through education.

Austria is also an active member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The National Fund of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism continues to do educational programming, such as funding a new Austrian exhibition in Block 17 of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland, titled "Far removed. Austria in Auschwitz." Additionally, the Austrian government has provided millions of euros in nursing care payments to Holocaust survivors living abroad and has entitled them to benefits under the Austrian pension system. These actions demonstrate Austria's commitment to remembering the Holocaust and supporting its victims.

The National Fund of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism

The Fund also helps raise social and political awareness of certain victimised groups and the different forms of persecution. It grants recognition to all victims of National Socialism, including those who have previously received little or no acknowledgement in Austria. These include Roma and Sinti, “Spanienkämpfer”, Carinthian Slovenes, the “Spiegelgrund children” and homosexuals, as well as people resettled from “Döllersheimer Ländchen” (Allentsteig/Lower Austria), victims of Nazi courts martial, conscientious objectors, and deserters from the German Armed Forces.

Austria is also an active member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. As part of Austria’s new commitment to face its past and following a Memorandum of Understanding between the states of Israel and Austria, 20 years ago *erinnern.at*, the Holocaust Education Institute of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, was founded. *Erinnern.at* has been supporting educators in all nine Austrian federal states in teaching about the Holocaust and the crimes of National Socialism and in the prevention of anti-Semitism and racism through education.

The role of Holocaust survivors in shaping Austrian remembrance

Holocaust survivors have played a crucial role in shaping Austrian remembrance of the Holocaust. Following the Waldheim debate, Austrian society began to question its narrative and identity regarding the Holocaust. The voices of survivors, such as Felix Brown, who shared his experiences of anti-Semitism and the murder of his family members, were instrumental in this process.

Austria publicly acknowledged its responsibility for the Holocaust and took steps to educate its citizens about this dark chapter in their history. The Holocaust Education Institute of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, *erinnern.at*, was founded 20 years ago as part of this effort. The institute supports educators in all nine Austrian federal states in teaching about the Holocaust, the crimes of National Socialism, and the prevention of anti-Semitism and racism.

The life stories of survivors are an integral part of Holocaust education in Austria. Students are encouraged to reflect on the relevance of these stories to their own lives and to engage in dialogue with their peers. This approach helps to personalise the history of the Holocaust and fosters a deeper understanding of its impact.

In addition to educational initiatives, Austria has also provided financial support to Holocaust survivors living abroad. As per the U.S.-Austria agreements concluded in 2000 and 2001, the Austrian government provided over €180 million in nursing care payments to survivors, primarily in Israel and the United States. These agreements also entitled Holocaust survivors living abroad to receive benefits under the Austrian pension system.

Through the efforts of survivors like Felix Brown, Austria has moved away from the victim theory and towards a more honest reckoning with its past. By incorporating survivor testimonies into educational programmes and providing financial support to those affected, Austria continues to shape its remembrance of the Holocaust and honour the experiences of those who survived.

The Waldheim debate

The Waldheim Affair refers to the controversy surrounding the disclosure of the previously unknown past of Kurt Waldheim, former secretary-general of the United Nations, during his campaign for the Austrian presidency in 1986. Waldheim was a member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and served as foreign minister, secretary-general of the United Nations (1972-81) and later president of Austria (1986-92).

The Waldheim Affair triggered a fundamental debate in Austria about the country's past during World War II and raised broader questions relating to the history of antisemitism in Austria and the role Austrians played in the Nazi dictatorship and the "Final Solution". The affair also saw the reemergence in Austrian political culture of the appeal to antisemitic prejudice for political ends. Employing a coded idiom more appropriate to "post-Auschwitz" political debate, the Waldheim camp helped construct a hostile image of Jews ("Feindbild") which served to deflect criticism of Waldheim's credibility and to explain the international backlash against his campaign.

The principal source of documents relating to Waldheim's past was the WJC, an organisation based in New York whose primary activities involve campaigning to defend threatened Jewish communities throughout the world and lobbying for what it perceives as the common interests of Jews. The series of press releases and disclosures of documents by the WJC set the pace and largely the terms for the debate on Waldheim in the United States.

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