The Holocaust's Austrian Jewish Victims: A Tragic Toll

The Holocaust saw the murder of six million Jews, but many Austrians are unaware of this fact. A survey released on Holocaust Remembrance Day found that a quarter of Austrian respondents believed that one million or fewer Jews were killed during the Holocaust, with 30% of Millennials and Gen Z respondents agreeing with this statement. In addition, 42% of Austrians overall, and 42% of Millennials and Gen Z respondents, believe that two million or fewer Jews were killed. This lack of knowledge is particularly poignant because the Holocaust occurred on Austrian soil, and approximately 65,000 Austrian Jews were killed.

Approximately 65,000 Austrian Jews were killed in the Holocaust

Between 1938 and 1940, approximately 117,000 Jews fled Austria to countries across the world, including some that would later be occupied by Nazi Germany or were members of the Axis. By November 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in the country.

Austria's Documentation Center of Austrian Resistance has identified records pertaining to more than 63,800 Jewish victims. On November 9, 2021, the Austrian government inaugurated a "Shoah Wall of Names Memorial" at a prominent location in central Vienna. This memorial monument is engraved with the names of 64,440 Austrian Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. It is known that an additional ~1,000 people were murdered, but their names have been lost.

99.7% of Austrians voted to join the German Reich in 1938

In 1938, 99.7% of Austrians voted in a plebiscite to join the German Reich. The referendum was held post factum, after the Nazi government of Austria signed a law which proclaimed Austria "a land of the German Reich". The Austrian government had planned a referendum to assert its sovereignty for 13 March 1938, but Germany invaded Austria the day before in order to prevent the vote taking place. The ballot was not secret, and threats and coercion were employed to manipulate the vote.

The referendum took place against a backdrop of pervasive persecution of Jews in Austria. Between 1938 and 1940, approximately 117,000 Jews fled Austria to countries across the world, including some that would later be occupied by Nazi Germany or were members of the Axis. By November 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in the country. Approximately 65,000 Austrian Jews were killed in the Holocaust, with some sources putting the figure at 70,000. In 2021, the Austrian government inaugurated a memorial monument engraved with the names of 64,440 Austrian Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. It is known that an additional ~1,000 people were murdered, but their names have been lost.

25% of Austrians believe that one million or fewer Jews were murdered during the Holocaust

In 2021, a survey by the Claims Conference found that 25% of Austrians believe that one million or fewer Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. This statistic is even higher among younger generations, with almost one-third (30%) of millennials and Gen Z believing that one million or fewer Jews were murdered.

The survey also found that more than one-third (36%) of Austrians overall – and 42% of millennials and Gen Z – believe that two million Jews or fewer were killed during the Holocaust. A 38% plurality of respondents believe that National Socialism/Nazism could come to power again, while 35% totally disagree with the statement, and 27% are neutral or unsure.

These findings point to a lack of knowledge about the Holocaust in Austria, with 56% of Austrians not knowing that six million Jews were murdered. This is particularly concerning given the country's history with the Holocaust. Between 1938 and 1940, approximately 117,000 Jews fled Austria to countries across the world, and by November 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in the country. Approximately 65,000 Austrian Jews were killed in the Holocaust, with some sources estimating the number to be 70,000.

42% of Austrians are unfamiliar with the Mauthausen concentration camp

The Mauthausen concentration camp was one of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps, located near the village of Mauthausen, on the Danube River, 12 miles (20 km) east of Linz, Austria. It was established in 1938, shortly after Austria was annexed to Nazi Germany. It was the main camp of a group with nearly 100 further subcamps located throughout Austria and southern Germany.

Mauthausen was one of the worst concentration camps in the system. It was founded on the orders of Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler, as part of an expansion of the concentration-camp network. It quickly acquired a reputation for lethality, even among its peer camps. The conditions at Mauthausen were even more severe than at most other Nazi concentration camps. Half of the 190,000 inmates died at Mauthausen or its subcamps.

The camp provided slave labour to work previously abandoned stone quarries nearby. During its first year, the camp received prisoners transferred from Dachau—mainly convicted criminals, but also so-called “asocial elements,” including political prisoners, homosexuals, and others.

It is not surprising that 42% of Austrians are unfamiliar with the Mauthausen concentration camp, given that a study released on Holocaust Remembrance Day showed an 'appalling lack of knowledge' about the genocide. For example, one-quarter of Austrian respondents (25%) believe that one million or fewer Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. The number is even higher among Millennials and Gen Z, almost one-third of whom (30%) believe that one million or fewer Jews were murdered.

Approximately 65,000 Austrian Jews were killed in the Holocaust.

28% of Austrians believe that many Austrians acted to rescue Jewish people during the war

It is estimated that 65,000 Austrian Jews were killed during the Holocaust. The Austrian government has inaugurated a memorial monument engraved with the names of 64,440 Austrian Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. It is known that an additional 1,000 people were murdered, but their names have been lost.

Despite this, a study released on Holocaust Remembrance Day found an 'appalling lack of knowledge' about the genocide among Austrians. One-quarter of Austrian respondents (25%) believe that one million or fewer Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. This number is even higher among Millennials and Gen Z, almost one-third of whom (30%) believe that one million or fewer Jews were murdered. More than one-third (36%) of Austrians overall – and 42% of Millennials and Gen Z in Austria – believe two million Jews or fewer were killed during the Holocaust.

Austria had a powerful legacy of Anti-Semitism which found its full expression in Adolf Hitler. In 1938, 99.7% of Austrians voted in a plebiscite to join the German Reich, but for decades following the war, the national consensus was that Austria, through an 'unwanted Anschluss' (annexation), had been Hitler's first victim.

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