Lexi Webster
Before World War II, Austria had a Jewish population of about 192,000, representing almost 4% of the total population. The majority of Austrian Jews lived in Vienna, a centre of Jewish culture, Zionism, and education. Jews comprised about 9% of the city's population. Yiddish was a language shared by the Ashkenazi/European Jewish community and was widely spoken, making it easy to communicate with other Jews. It is a language that is solely spoken by Jews, helping to unite the Jewish people. Yiddish was also the language of the Ashkenazi Jews, who made up the majority of Austrian Jews.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Language spoken by Austrian Jews during WWII | Yiddish, German |
| Yiddish origins | Germanic, Slavic, Romance, Hebrew, Aramaic |
| Yiddish importance | Spoken by Ashkenazi/European Jews, widely spoken, used in Jewish texts |
| Yiddish speakers (2021 estimate) | 600,000 worldwide (250,000 in the US, 250,000 in Israel, 100,000 elsewhere) |
Explore related products
$10.78 $16.95
What You'll Learn
Yiddish was the primary language of Austrian Jews before WWII
The history of Jews in Austria goes back to the 3rd century CE. Over the centuries, the Jewish community in Austria has experienced both prosperity and equality and periods of extreme persecution. The Holocaust, which began in Austria with the Nazi annexation in 1938, decimated the Jewish population in the country.
Before WWII, Yiddish was the primary language of Austrian Jews. The language is a mix of Jewish and non-Jewish languages, including Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic, Romance languages, and German dialects. The Jewish community in the Rhineland would have spoken Middle High German dialects, which evolved into the German dialects of the modern period. Jewish communities in the High Medieval period would have spoken their own versions of these German dialects, mixed with Hebrew and Aramaic words. Yiddish also has significant Slavic influence on its vocabulary, grammar, and phonology, though much of this influence has been lost over time.
Yiddish emerged when speakers of Zarphatic (Judeo-French) and other Judeo-Romance languages began acquiring varieties of Middle High German. The Ashkenazi community, or European Jewish community, took shape from these groups. Max Weinreich's model suggests that Jewish speakers of Old French or Old Italian who were literate in liturgical Hebrew or Aramaic migrated through Southern Europe to settle in the Rhine Valley in an area known as Lotharingia.
By 1900, Jews in Germany no longer spoke Yiddish, and the Western Yiddish dialect group had become extinct. However, Austria, which had a much higher percentage of Jews than Germany, likely spoke Eastern Yiddish, which included Austrian-German influences.
Yiddish was important to the Jewish people as it was a shared language that united the community, especially in ultra-orthodox communities where it remains the main language. Additionally, many historical Jewish texts are written in Yiddish, and it is a language solely spoken by Jews.
Austria's UEFA Champions League Contenders
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Hebrew was reserved for religious purposes
Before World War II, Yiddish was important to the Jewish people as it was a language shared by the Ashkenazi/European Jewish community and was widely spoken, making it easy to communicate with other Jews. Yiddish, which emerged in the Middle Ages, contains elements from Slavic and Romance languages, as well as Hebrew and Aramaic. Colloquially, it is sometimes called the "mother tongue" (mame-loshn), distinguishing it from the "holy tongue" (loshn koydesh), or Hebrew, which was reserved for religious purposes.
Indeed, Hebrew was regarded as a holy language by the Jewish community and was not used for common communication. It was reserved for ritual and spiritual purposes only. This is reflected in the fact that, in many ultra-orthodox communities, Yiddish is the main language and is spoken by everyone, whereas Hebrew is used for religious texts and rituals.
The earliest surviving references to Yiddish date from the 12th century and refer to the language as "loshn-ashknaz" or "taytsh", a variant of Middle High German. The term "Yiddish" itself, meaning "Jewish German", did not become the most frequently used designation until the 18th century. By 1900, Jews in Germany no longer spoke Yiddish; instead, they had adopted German as their primary language.
In the case of Austria, the country would have been in the Western Yiddish zone, with Eastern Yiddish also spoken in Vienna due to migration from other parts of the empire. By 1900, Western Yiddish was likely only retained in the pronunciation of specifically Jewish terms, such as "taureh" for "torah."
Today, Yiddish remains important within the worldwide Jewish community for several reasons. Firstly, in many ultra-orthodox communities, it is still the main language spoken, uniting the Jewish people as a language solely spoken by Jews. Additionally, many historical Jewish texts are written in Yiddish, and it continues to be a language of daily life for Hasidic and other Haredi communities, with an estimated global population of Yiddish speakers between 500,000 and 1 million as of 2014.
Austria: A Migrant's Dream Destination?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Austrian Jews also spoke German
Austrian Jews spoke German during World War II, in addition to other languages like Yiddish. Before World War II, there were about 190,000-192,000 Jews in Austria, representing almost 4% of the total population. The majority of Austrian Jews lived in Vienna, the capital, which was an important centre of Jewish culture, Zionism, and education. Jews made up about 9% of the city's population.
Yiddish was a language shared by the Ashkenazi/European Jewish community and was widely spoken, making it easy to communicate with other Jews. It is a mixture of various dialects, including German, Slavic, Romance languages, Hebrew, and Aramaic. By 1900, Jews in Germany did not speak Yiddish, but rather Western Yiddish, a dialect group that went extinct during the 1800s. Austria likely would have spoken Eastern Yiddish, which had switched to German by 1900.
During World War II, the skills of Jewish refugees as native German speakers were used by the Allied Armies to gather military intelligence. They played a crucial role in the Allied victory, serving in frontline prisoner interrogation units questioning the very Nazis who had once persecuted them.
By December 1939, the Jewish population in Vienna had decreased to 57,000, primarily due to emigration. Between 1938 and 1940, 117,000 Jews left Austria, and by 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in the country.
Dialing Austria from India: A Step-by-Step Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Jews comprised 9% of Vienna's population in 1938
Vienna, the capital of Austria, had a population of 1.9 million in 1934. In 1938, there were 170,000 Jews living in the city, comprising about 9% of the city's total population. Including persons of mixed Jewish-Christian background and converts from Judaism, the Viennese Jewish population may have been as high as 200,000 or 206,000, more than 10% of the city's inhabitants.
Vienna was an important centre of Jewish culture and education. The city was also a centre of Zionist thought, and Theodor Herzl, the father of Zionism, had studied at the University of Vienna. Many Viennese Jews were well-integrated into urban society and culture, and they made up significant percentages of the city's doctors, lawyers, businessmen, bankers, artists, and journalists. Sigmund Freud, Karl Kraus, Victor and Alfred Adler, and Arthur Schnitzler were some of the notable Jewish figures in Vienna.
However, the entry of Hitler's army into Austria in March 1938 marked a turning point for the country's Jewish population. The Nazis quickly applied German anti-Jewish legislation to Vienna, aiming to exclude Jews from economic, cultural, and social life. Jewish citizens were openly brutalised, forced to perform humiliating tasks, and stripped of their property and civil rights. They were made to wear the yellow star and take on the first names "Sara" or "Israel". Shops and assets were expropriated and "Aryanised", and synagogues and prayer houses were burned down during Kristallnacht in November 1938.
The Jewish community in Vienna, which had a rich history dating back to the 12th century, was once again targeted for expulsion and deportation. By May 1939, roughly 130,000 persons considered Jews under the Nuremberg Racial Laws had left Austria, and by 1946, only 4,000 Jews remained in Vienna. The Jewish population in the city has since been strengthened by immigrants and refugees from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
Regarding the language spoken by Austrian Jews during WWII, it is important to note that Yiddish was a widely spoken language among Ashkenazi/European Jews and played a significant role in uniting the Jewish people. While there were various dialects of Yiddish, including Western and Eastern Yiddish, it is likely that Austrian Jews spoke Eastern Yiddish due to migration patterns within the empire. Yiddish borrowed from other languages, including German, Slavic languages, Hebrew, and Aramaic, and was influenced by the local vernacular.
German Confederation: Austrian Empie's Puppet or Partner?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
By 1940, 117,000 Jews had left Austria
Austria has been home to a thriving Jewish community since the 3rd century CE. Before World War II, Austrian Jews played a significant role in the country's economic and cultural life, with many excelling in professions such as textiles, pharmacy, arts, and academia. Vienna, the capital, was a prominent centre of Jewish culture, Zionism, and education, with Jews constituting about 9% of the city's population.
However, the situation for Austrian Jews took a dire turn in the lead-up to and during World War II. In March 1938, German troops entered Austria, receiving the enthusiastic support of most Austrians. The country was promptly incorporated into Germany, and anti-Jewish legislation was swiftly imposed. The main emigration wave started with the annexation, known as the Anschluss, and intensified after Kristallnacht in November 1938, when most synagogues in Austria were destroyed, and Jewish businesses were vandalised and ransacked.
By December 1939, the Jewish population in Vienna had decreased from about 190,000-192,000 in January 1938 to just 57,000, primarily due to emigration. Between 1938 and 1940, an estimated 117,000 Jews fled Austria, seeking refuge from the increasing persecution and violence. This mass exodus left a profound impact on the country's Jewish community, reducing their numbers and severing the strong cultural and economic contributions they had made to Austrian society.
The language spoken by Austrian Jews during WWII was most likely a mix of German and Yiddish. Yiddish, a language with significant Slavic influence, was historically important to the Ashkenazi/European Jewish community, allowing for easy communication among Jews. While the use of Western Yiddish had declined by the 20th century, Eastern Yiddish continued to be spoken in parts of the Austrian Empire, including Vienna.
Austria-Hungary: A Country of Two Nations
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Austrian Jews spoke Yiddish, a language that emerged when speakers of Zarphatic (Judeo-French) and other Judeo-Romance languages began to acquire varieties of Middle High German. By 1900, Jews in Germany did not speak Yiddish anymore. However, Austria had a higher percentage of Jews than Germany, and Yiddish was widely spoken by the Ashkenazi/European Jewish community.
The earliest surviving references to the Yiddish language date from the 12th century, where it was called "loshn-ashknaz" or "taytsh", a variant of "tiutsch", the contemporary name for Middle High German. Yiddish contains elements from Slavic and Romance languages, as well as Hebrew and Aramaic.
Yiddish was important because it was a language shared by the Ashkenazi/European Jewish community and was widely spoken, making it easy for Jews to communicate with each other. Today, in many ultra-orthodox communities, Yiddish is the main language and is spoken by everyone.
German was also spoken by Austrian Jews, and this knowledge proved to be valuable to the Allied Armies. During WWII, nearly 13,000 Jewish refugees served in the British armed forces, and their knowledge of German helped gather military intelligence.
In 1938, Austria had a Jewish population of about 190,000-192,000, representing almost 4% of the total population. By December 1939, their number had reduced to 57,000 due to emigration. By November 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in Austria.
