Ruqayyah Snyder
The history of Jews in Austria is a long and complex one, dating back to the time of the Roman Empire. The Jewish community in the country has experienced both prosperity and equality as well as persecution, deportations, and antisemitism throughout its existence. The Jewish population in Austria has fluctuated over the centuries, with a significant presence in the early 20th century, a drastic reduction during the Holocaust, and a slow recovery in recent years. Today, there are about 15,000 Jews living in Austria, with most residing in Vienna.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of first Jewish settlement in Austria | 3rd century CE |
| Origin of Austrian Jews | Exodus of Jews from Judea under Roman occupation |
| Political status of Austrian Jews over time | Fluctuating between epochs of equality and prosperity and eras of pogroms, deportations, and antisemitism |
| Number of Jews in Austria before World War II | 192,000 (4% of the total population) |
| Number of Jews in Vienna before World War II | 180,000 (9% of the city's population) |
| Number of Jews in Austria after World War II | 7,000 |
| Number of Jews in Austria as of 2020 | 10,300 (33,000 including Austrians with at least one Jewish grandparent) |
| Current major Jewish communities in Austria | Vienna, Baden, Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, and Salzburg |
| Organizations supporting Austrian Jews | The Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft (Jewish Religious Association), B'nai B'rith, WIZO, Zionist Federation, B'nai Akiva, Hashomer Hatzair, Austrian Jewish Student Union |
| Notable contributions by Austrian Jews | Arts, sciences, humanities, health and welfare, politics, etc. |
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What You'll Learn
The history of Jews in Austria
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Jewish community in Austria experienced varying levels of tolerance and persecution. In 1509, the "Imperial Confiscation Mandate" was passed, ordering the destruction of all Jewish books except the Bible. While Emperor Ferdinand I, whose regime began in 1556, opposed the persecution of Jews, he imposed excessive taxes and mandated that they wear a mark of disgrace. The condition of Jews further deteriorated under the reigns of Maximilian II, Rudolf II, and Matthias, as they faced increasing religious fanaticism from the Jesuits.
In the 18th century, the Austrian Empire gained many new Jewish citizens following the annexation of new territories. Empress Maria Theresa, who was known for her hatred of Jews, legislated laws regulating their rights and canceled Jewish autonomy. Despite her personal sentiments, several Jews worked in her court, and she mandated their attendance at general elementary schools, even permitting them to join universities. After Maria Theresa's death in 1780, her son Joseph II worked towards the integration of Jews into Austrian society. He made it obligatory for them to enlist in the army and established governmental schools for Jewish children. The 1782 Edict of Tolerance removed previous limitations on Jewish residence and professions.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a significant Jewish presence in Vienna, the capital of Austria, with Jews comprising about 9% of the city's population. During this period, Jews made substantial contributions to Austrian culture, with notable figures in fields such as law, journalism, literature, poetry, medicine, banking, business, and art. However, the rise of Nazi propaganda and the German annexation of Austria in 1938 marked a dark chapter in the history of Austrian Jews. More than 50,000 Austrian Jews were deported between 1938 and 1945, with only about 2,000 returning. The Holocaust drastically reduced the Jewish population in Austria, and by 2001, only 8,140 Jews remained according to the census.
In recent decades, Austria has taken steps towards restitution and recognition of its role in the Holocaust. In 1991, Chancellor Franz Vranitzky acknowledged the country's co-responsibility for the suffering inflicted on the Jewish community. Various laws and funds have been established to provide compensation and support to victims of National Socialism and their descendants.
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The Holocaust and its effects on Austrian Jews
The Holocaust had a devastating impact on Austrian Jews, resulting in mass murder, deportation, and the near-total destruction of the community.
Before World War II, Jews were a prominent part of Austria's economic and cultural landscape, with notable figures in various fields. In 1938, Austria's Jewish population stood at approximately 192,000, with the majority (around 176,000) residing in Vienna, the capital. However, the German annexation of Austria in March 1938, known as the Anschluss, marked a turning point. This event triggered a wave of anti-Jewish legislation and persecution. The Mauthausen concentration camp, established in the summer of 1938, became a notorious symbol of Nazi cruelty, where inmates were subjected to harsh conditions and forced labor.
The Kristallnacht pogroms in November 1938 further illustrated the brutality faced by Austrian Jews. Synagogues were destroyed, Jewish-owned businesses were vandalized, and thousands of Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps. This sparked a surge in Jewish emigration, with 117,000 Jews leaving Austria between 1938 and 1940. By December 1939, the Jewish population in Austria had dropped to 57,000.
The systematic persecution, plunder, and murder of Austrian Jews continued throughout the Holocaust. Approximately 35,000 Jews were deported from Vienna to ghettos and concentration camps in Eastern Europe, with many ultimately losing their lives. The Nazis also seized Jewish-owned property, including homes, businesses, real estate, financial assets, and artworks, transferring them to non-Jewish owners. By November 1942, the Viennese Jewish community was officially liquidated, leaving only about 7,000 Jews in Austria, mostly those married to non-Jews. Some Jews remained in hiding until the liberation of Vienna by Soviet troops in April 1945.
The Holocaust had a devastating impact on Austria's Jewish community, reducing it to a fraction of its former size. According to the 2001 census, only 8,140 Jews remained in Austria, and by 2020, this number had slightly increased to 10,300. The Austrian government has since taken steps to address its role in the Holocaust, providing restitution and compensation to victims, and recognizing Austrians who risked their lives to aid and save Jews during that dark period.
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The Austrian Jewish community's postwar difficulties
The Austrian Jewish community faced numerous difficulties in the postwar period. The Holocaust had decimated their numbers, with only 8,140 Jews remaining in Austria according to the 2001 census—a drastic reduction from the pre-war population of around 190,000. The postwar Austrian governments did little to encourage those expelled from the country to return, and the lack of available housing, especially in Vienna, created a situation where even the leadership of the Austrian Jewish community did not promote former Vienna Jews coming back.
The highest-ranking Austrian politicians made anti-Semitic statements in the late 1940s, fostering a culture reluctant to negotiate compensation for victims. President Karl Renner, for instance, remarked that "1945 is the final and full destruction of the old Austrian-Hungarian monarchy. And with it, the basis of the Jewish merchants. Most of the Jews were exterminated and their property all over Eastern Europe confiscated…And even if there was room for them, I do not believe that Austria of today could be their home anymore."
The Austrian Jewish community faced significant financial challenges. Before the war, 50% of the Kultusgemeinde's budget came from taxation, but this figure dropped to just 4% after the conflict. The remaining 50% was derived from investments and contributions, which were no longer available. The Austrian government implemented restitution programs, but these were widely considered insufficient. It was not until 1991 that Chancellor Franz Vranitzky officially acknowledged Austria's co-responsibility for the suffering of its Jewish community during the Holocaust. This admission triggered a reassessment of the country's postwar restitution efforts, and by 2008, a database of over 9,000 heirless art objects was made public to allow additional claimants to come forward.
The Austrian government also negotiated with the Committee for Jewish Claims, resulting in the Assistance Fund Act (Hilfsondsgesetz) of 1956, which provided one-time payments to victims of National Socialism residing abroad who did not receive benefits under the Austrian Victims Welfare Act. The General Social Insurance Law was amended several times, starting in 1961, to allow more victims to participate in the pension system by retroactively purchasing pensions at preferential rates. Additionally, the 2001 Washington Agreement removed discriminatory measures, allowing former Austrian Jews living abroad to receive higher levels of "nursing assistance" based on their disability status.
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Anti-Jewish legislation in Austria
Jews have been in Austria since the 3rd century CE, and over the centuries, their political status has fluctuated. While there were periods of prosperity and political equality, there were also times of persecution, deportations, and mass murder. The Holocaust significantly reduced Austria's Jewish population, and the country has acknowledged its role in this dark chapter of history.
In the pre-Holocaust era, Jews in Austria experienced varying levels of tolerance and persecution. During the reign of Maria Theresa of Austria in the 18th century, Jews faced discrimination and loss of autonomy, but they were also granted access to education and universities. The reign of Franz Joseph I of Austria in the 19th century marked a period of relative tolerance, with Jews contributing significantly to Austrian culture. However, antisemitism persisted, and the rise of Nazi power in the 1930s brought about a wave of anti-Jewish legislation in Austria.
The first wave of Nazi anti-Jewish legislation, from 1933 to 1934, aimed to limit Jewish participation in public life. This included excluding Jews from civil service positions and implementing segregation in various spheres. The "Nuremberg Laws" of 1935 further institutionalized Nazi racial theories, leading to immediate and concrete segregation. Jews were barred from hospitals, courts, the army, and universities. They were required to carry identity cards and had their passports stamped with a "J."
As Nazi leaders prepared for war, anti-Jewish legislation became more radical. The Mauthausen concentration camp, established in 1938, became the main Nazi camp in Austria, known for its harsh conditions and forced labor. By 1939, most Jewish-owned businesses had been transferred to non-Jewish Germans. Systematic deportations from Vienna began in October 1941, with about 35,000 Jews sent to ghettos and concentration camps. By November 1942, only around 7,000 Jews remained in Austria.
In recent times, Austria has taken steps to address its historical responsibility towards the Jewish community. The country has instituted restitution programs and compensation for victims of National Socialism. The Assistance Fund Act of 1956 provided one-time payments to victims, and the General Social Insurance Law was amended to include more victims in the pension system. The Austrian Federal Government has also developed strategies to combat antisemitism and protect Austrian-Jewish cultural heritage, demonstrating its commitment to fighting against discrimination and preserving the rights and well-being of the Jewish community.
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The Austrian Jewish community's contributions to Austrian culture
The history of Jews in Austria goes back to the 3rd century CE, and over the centuries, the community's political status has fluctuated between prosperity and equality, and persecution and antisemitism. The Austrian Jewish community has made significant contributions to various fields, including the arts, sciences, and humanities, law, journalism, literature, business, and medicine.
During the reign of Franz Joseph I, the Jewish population contributed greatly to Austrian culture, despite their small percentage of the overall population. Many Austrian Jews held influential positions and made notable contributions to various fields. For example, Theodor Herzl, a journalist and the father of Zionism, studied at the University of Vienna and edited the influential newspaper, "Neue Freie Presse". Other influential Jewish figures in Austrian culture during this period included composers Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg; authors Stefan Zweig, Arthur Schnitzler, Karl Kraus, Elias Canetti, and Joseph Roth; and doctors Sigmund Freud, Viktor Frankl, and Alfred Adler.
Before World War II, Vienna, the capital of Austria, was a significant centre of Jewish culture, Zionism, and education, with Jews comprising about 9% of the city's population. The Jewish community in Vienna was diverse, encompassing various religious and cultural backgrounds, including Ashkenazi and Sephardic groups. This diversity allowed the community to speak to the outside world with a unified voice, advocating for their rights and contributing to the National Strategy against Antisemitism.
During the mid-1930s, the rise of Nazism and anti-Jewish sentiment in Austria led to the expropriation of Jewish property, the expulsion of Jews from cultural, economic, and social life, and their deportation to concentration camps and ghettos in Eastern Europe. Despite these challenges, the Austrian Jewish community has demonstrated resilience and a commitment to preserving their culture and traditions. Today, Vienna remains a centre of Jewish life, with a dynamic small Jewish community that continues to contribute to the cultural diversity of the country.
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Frequently asked questions
Jews first arrived in Austria in the 3rd century CE, after the exodus of Jews from Judea under Roman occupation.
In 1938, there were about 192,000 Jews in Austria, representing almost 4% of the total population. The overwhelming majority lived in Vienna, where they comprised about 9% of the city's population.
During World War II, the Nazis deported about 35,000 Jews from Vienna to ghettos in Eastern Europe and concentration camps in Germany. By November 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in Austria, mostly those married to non-Jews.
The Holocaust drastically reduced the Jewish community in Austria. According to the 2001 census, only 8,140 Jews remained in Austria after the war.
Today, about 15,000 Jews live in Austria, with the majority residing in Vienna. Present-day Austrian Jewry is primarily composed of Holocaust survivors and their children, returning Austrian expatriates, and refugees from Eastern Europe, Iran, and the former Soviet Union.
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