Lyla Lindsey
Austrian immigrants have been coming to America since 1734, when a group of 50 Protestant families fled Catholic repression in Salzburg and settled in Georgia. The largest wave of Austrian immigrants came during the first decade of the 20th century, with more than two million Austrians arriving in America due to political and ethnic conflicts that eventually led to World War I. The fourth and final wave of Austrian immigration was motivated by World War II, with many Austrian Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. After the war, Austrian immigration to the United States became negligible as Austria emerged as a prosperous and democratic country.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reasons for Immigration | Religious freedom, economic opportunities, political and ethnic conflicts, escape from Nazi persecution and World War II |
| Periods of Immigration | Pre-American Revolution, 1848, early 20th century, mid-1930s to mid-1950s |
| Number of Immigrants | 2 million during the early 20th century, 70,000 from mid-1930s to mid-1950s, 948,558 people with Austrian origins in the 1990 U.S. census |
| States with Highest Population | New York, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio |
| Notable Immigrants | Isidor Bush, John Michael Kohler, August Brentano, Nathan M. Ohrbach, Joe Weinstein, John David Hertz, Nettie Rosenstein, Rudi Gernreich, Frederick Ungar, Frederik Amos Praeger |
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What You'll Learn
Religious freedom
The quest for religious freedom has been a significant factor in Austrian immigration to America. The earliest documented Austrian settlers in America were around 50 families of Protestants from Salzburg who arrived in Georgia in 1734. They fled Catholic repression in their country and established the settlement of Ebenezer near Savannah. Despite initial difficulties, they grew and prospered as new families of immigrants arrived.
During the seventeenth century, many British North American colonies that eventually formed the United States were settled by men and women who refused to compromise their religious convictions in the face of European persecution. The New England colonies, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland were established as "plantations of religion." This period also saw the execution of David van der Leyen and Levina Ghyselins, described as Dutch Anabaptists or Mennonites, by Catholic authorities in Ghent in 1554.
The religious preferences of Austrian rulers, who could be either Roman Catholics or Protestants, were typically identified as the state religions. Citizens of other faiths often faced discrimination or persecution, which prompted emigration. Archbishop Leopold von Firmian, the Catholic ruler of Salzburg, Austria, expelled as many as 20,000 Lutherans from his principality in 1731. Many of these displaced Lutherans froze to death while seeking sanctuary during the winter.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Austrian Jews increasingly emigrated to the United States, particularly after the Annexation of Austria in 1938, to escape Nazi persecution. This emigration strengthened religious diversity in the United States. Isidor Bush, who emigrated from Vienna to St. Louis in 1849, became a leading Jewish figure in Missouri through his business, religious, and political endeavours.
While Austrian immigration has slowed since the 1960s due to Austria's development and reduced political oppression, religious freedom remains a fundamental aspect of American society, attracting immigrants seeking to freely practice their religious beliefs.
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Economic opportunities
Many Austrian immigrants to America have gone on to establish successful businesses and contribute significantly to the American economy. For example, John Michael Kohler, an immigrant from Voralberg, built one of the largest plumbing outfitters in the United States and introduced the enamel-coated bathtub. August Brentano, an impoverished Austrian immigrant, turned a newspaper stand into a thriving bookshop chain. Similarly, Nathan M. Ohrbach founded the Ohrbach department store chain, and Joe Weinstein founded the May stores.
The development of the rental car industry in the United States is attributed to John David Hertz, an Austrian-Czech immigrant. In the world of fashion, Austrian Americans like Nettie Rosenstein and Rudi Gernreich made their mark, with the latter designing the topless bathing suits of the 1960s. Austrian immigrants also played a role in the publishing industry, with refugees like Frederick Ungar and Frederik Amos Praeger establishing well-respected publishing houses in New York.
It is worth noting that economic factors were not the sole motivation for Austrian immigration to America. Other factors, such as religious freedom and the avoidance of military service, also played a role in their decision to emigrate.
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Political and ethnic conflicts
Austrian immigration to the United States has a long history, with four distinct periods of significant immigration waves. The first wave occurred before the American Revolution and was driven by religious persecution in Austria. The second wave began in 1848, with the immigration of Austrian intellectuals fleeing the suppression of pro-democracy rebellions. The third and largest wave took place during the first decade of the 20th century, largely due to political and ethnic conflicts preceding World War I. The fourth and final wave was a result of World War II, with Austrian Jews escaping Nazi persecution, and Austrians from various backgrounds fleeing the war's aftermath.
The third wave of Austrian immigration to America, which occurred during the first decade of the 20th century, was significantly influenced by the political and ethnic conflicts that eventually led to World War I. This period witnessed the arrival of more than two million Austrians on American shores. The specific political and ethnic conflicts that prompted this exodus can be attributed to the complex dynamics within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which encompassed a diverse array of nationalities and ethnic groups.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire, which existed before the establishment of modern Austria in 1918, was a sprawling entity that included various ethnic groups such as Serbs, Czechs, Slovenians, Poles, Hungarians, Slovaks, and others. The empire's suppression of non-Catholic faiths, such as in the case of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire's suppression of sects in Bohemia, led to significant emigration, particularly among religious minorities. For example, large numbers of Czechs left Bohemia, establishing sizeable colonies in American cities like Chicago, New York, St. Louis, and Cleveland. Similarly, Slovaks from northeastern Hungary emigrated en masse to the United States to escape the Hungarian government's policy of Magyarization.
The political and ethnic conflicts within the Austro-Hungarian Empire also influenced the emigration of other ethnic groups. For instance, between 1870 and 1890, over 270,000 Poles left the empire due to economic hardships and the inability of agricultural methods to sustain their growing population. This wave of Polish emigration peaked in 1912-1913, with over 174,300 people entering the United States. Additionally, the empire's recruitment of cheap labour for American industries facilitated the emigration process, with agents and fellow countrymen already in America encouraging and enabling the migration.
In summary, the political and ethnic conflicts preceding World War I significantly influenced the third wave of Austrian immigration to America. This wave was characterised by the exodus of various ethnic groups seeking religious freedom, economic opportunities, and the preservation of their cultural identities. The complex dynamics within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, including religious suppression, national policies, and economic hardships, all contributed to the significant emigration patterns during this period.
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Escape Nazi persecution
Austrian immigration to the United States was historically motivated by religious and political persecution. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Austrian immigrants sought religious freedom in the United States, fleeing Catholic repression in their country. In the early 20th century, Austrian immigration increased due to political and ethnic conflicts preceding World War I. However, the most significant wave of Austrian immigration occurred in the late 1930s, as Jews fled Nazi persecution following the Annexation of Austria in 1938.
The rise of Nazism in Germany and its expansion into Austria triggered a mass exodus of Jewish Austrians seeking refuge in the United States. Between 1938 and 1941, approximately 29,000 Jewish Austrians emigrated to the United States, escaping the escalating persecution and impending Holocaust. This exodus included many doctors, lawyers, architects, artists, writers, journalists, and other members of the intelligentsia. The United States, despite its complex immigration policies and quotas, offered a haven for those fleeing Nazi persecution, contributing to the religious and cultural diversity of the nation.
The process of emigrating from Austria to the United States during this period was challenging. Austrians seeking refuge had to navigate complex immigration policies and convince American consuls of their financial, political, and moral reliability. The requirement of a valid passport presented additional obstacles, especially after Germany stripped all German Jews outside its territory of their nationality in 1941. Despite these challenges, the United States remained a desired destination for those fleeing Nazi persecution.
The impact of Austrian immigrants fleeing Nazi persecution extended beyond the immediate refugee crisis. The influx of Jewish Austrian intellectuals, artists, and professionals contributed significantly to American society and culture. Their influence can be seen in various fields, including the arts, sciences, and popular culture. Additionally, the experience of escaping Nazi persecution shaped the assimilation patterns of Austrian immigrants in the United States, as they adapted to the cultural trends and societal changes of their new country.
The end of World War II in 1945 brought another wave of Austrian immigration to the United States, although this time from a broader range of backgrounds. People sought to escape the devastation and disorganization left in the war's wake. From the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, approximately 70,000 Austrians arrived in the United States, including those fleeing Nazi persecution and those seeking opportunities in the post-war era.
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Avoid military service
Between 1820 and 1920, over 3,700,000 people emigrated from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire to the United States. From 1901 to 1910 alone, over 2.1 million Austrian citizens arrived in the United States, making them one of the ten most populous immigrant groups in the country. The Austrian migration to the U.S. may have started in 1734, when a group of 50 families from Salzburg migrated to Georgia.
Austrian immigrants to the United States came from a variety of backgrounds and were motivated by a range of factors. Many were poor and sought economic opportunities in the industrial centres on the East Coast and Midwest. Some young men emigrated to avoid military service. While the Austrian government recognized the 'freedom of movement' promised in the 1867 constitution, officials feared population loss and tried to prevent emigration. Military-aged men were not allowed to leave without permission, but many did so anyway. To avoid rejection at domestic harbors, they sneaked past Austrian gendarmes at the German border, from where they could travel to America.
In 1908, for example, a 21-year-old Hungarian man, Bernhard Toth, was stopped by police as he attempted to cross the border from Habsburg territory into Imperial Germany on his way to America. He did not have proof of exemption from military service, and his steamship ticket was confiscated. He was detained for 48 days and then released when his home district failed to grant extradition.
Another example of a young man who may have been seeking to avoid military service is 17-year-old Johann Michael Kohler, who migrated with his family from Schnepfau, Vorarlberg to Minnesota in 1864.
In addition to economic factors and the desire to avoid military service, Austrian immigrants to the United States were also motivated by religious persecution. German-speaking Austrians, who were often Catholic or Jewish, tended to settle in the centre of the country, avoiding rural Protestant conservative America.
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Frequently asked questions
Austrian immigrants who came to America in 1734 were seeking religious freedom. These 50 families from Salzburg, Austria, were Protestant and fled to the newly founded state of Georgia to escape Catholic repression in their country.
There were two main waves of Austrian immigrants to America in the 1800s. The first began in 1848 when a series of small pro-democracy rebellions were suppressed, leading to the immigration of many Austrian intellectuals to the United States. The second wave was in the final decade of the 1800s, when over two million Austrians fled to America due to the political and ethnic conflicts that eventually led to World War I.
Austrian immigrants came to America in the 1900s to escape Nazi persecution and the Holocaust. Between the mid-1930s and the mid-1950s, approximately 70,000 Austrians arrived in the United States, most of them Jewish. After 1945, Austrians from a range of backgrounds also came to America to escape the disorganization and desolation left in the war's wake.
