Austria
From JudaismWiki
AUSTRIA. Jews in Austria constituted an important community in Europe, with traces going back to the 9th century. Recent archeological findings have discovered a Jewish amulet in a Roman cementary dating back to the 3rd (!) century c.e. This children's amulet containing the first line of the "Shema" is the prove that people of Jewish faith lived in the territory of today's Austria some 1.800 years ago.(see http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/geowissenschaften/bericht-105584.html) We don't know anything about the Jewish life in these early Roman days yet. The later Austrian-Jewish history, however, is a series of immigrations and expulsions and a constant struggle for existence. In 1421, about 210 Jews were burned to death by the order of the Vienna Edict, while the rest were driven out. Gradually, they returned, but in 1670 there was another expulsion. At that time, a number of individual Jews were permitted to return to Austria on the condition that they would not form any congregation. Among these “privileged Jews” was Samson Wertheimer, rabbi and banker to the court. In 1782, Emperor Joseph II issued his Edict of Toleration, which revoked many anti-Jewish regulations, but was opposed by Orthodox Jewry because of its interference in religious and cultural affairs and its hidden aim of compulsory assimilation.
Jewish contribution to the Austrian Empire
In 1788, still under the rule of Joseph II, Galician Jews of military age were drafted into the Austrian army first time ever in the Austrian Empire. A few months later conscription of Jews was extended from Galicia to the whole empire, and in 1789 Jews were allowed to volunteer for combat units for the first time . During the Napoleonic wars the first Jewish officers were commissioned. By the late sixties of the nineteenth century the integrity of the crumbling Habsburg Monarchy began to rest very much on the loyalty of it’s officer corps. At this time the percentage of Jewish officers (18,7 % in 1897) was much higher than their share of the population. World War I saw 25.000 commissioned Jewish officers fighting in the Austrian-Hungarian army, receiving 76 Gold Medals of Valor (one of the highest distinctions possible), and 25 Jewish and converted officers became promoted to Generals, one of them even to the rank of Field Marshal-Lieutenant. (Legend knows him demanding not to be served food forbidden by kashrut even when dining with the emperor…).
Sadly, neither valor nor rank would save them a few years later. Those who bravely fought for the axis would horribly die under Hitler's axe. One of the slain heroes was Fieldmarshal Johann Friedländer, a General in the Austrian High Command just before the "Anschluss". Regardless of his merits Friedländer was arrested, sent to Theresienstadt KZ and murdered in 1945.
Political development
Following their participation in the 1848 revolutions, the Jews enjoyed a short-lived period of liberty. In 1867, they attained equal political rights, which they enjoyed until the Germans occupied Austria in 1938.
Cultural Importance
Jews contributed greatly to the development of Austrian economics, science, art, literature, and media. In purely Jewish matters, they were influenced by eminent scholars whose books were accepted by Jewry throughout the world. Vienna had the largest Jewish community in Austria. Others were located in Graz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Wiener-Neustadt and the Burgenland area.
The close of the 19th century witnessed the growth of the Zionist movement, due in no small measure to the fact that Theodor Herzl made his home in Vienna and served as literary editor and correspondent for the influential newspaper Die Neue Freie Presse. World War I brought many Jews to Austria from Galicia and Hungary; many remained after the war and exercised a strong influence on Jewish life in Austria. The Anschluss with Germany marked the beginning of the end for Austrian Jewry in March 1938. At that time, when a considerable part of the Austrian population enthusiastically welcomed the German occupation, the Jewish population numbered 185,246. About 178,000 Jews lived in Vienna. By the end of World War II only 7,000 Jews remained: about 128,000 had fled the country, and about 50,000 were annihilated by the Austrians and Germans, many of them in the gas chambers of Auschwitz.
TODAY
There are approximately 9,000 Jews living in Austria, most of them living in Vienna and Graz. A majority of Jews who live in Vienna are registered with the Vienna Kultusgemeinde, central agency of the Austrian Jewish community. Postwar efforts of the community centered around negotiations for restitution and compensation of losses suffered under the Nazis. The Austrian Jewish community has had to contend with a resurgent antisemitism. Provisions for Jewish education have been lagging because of the dispersal of the children and their small numbers. Aided by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, which is extremely active in relief and welfare work in Austria, the Kultusgemeinde maintains a Hebrew school, several Talmud Torahs, and a credit cooperative.
In 1990 Or Chadash, Austria's first and only Progressive (Liberal) Congregation, was founded in Vienna. In 2008 Or Chadash hosted the World Union for Progressive Judaism's regional European Conference in Vienna. http://www.orchadasch.at/conference/. March 15th 2008 was a day to remember: for the first time two progressive Shabbat services were held in Vienna at the same time.
Rabbi Dr. Walter Rotschild in Robertgasse Synagogue
Unfortunately Vienna cannot afford to have it's own full-time liberal Rabbi yet. Therefore Rabbi Rothschild has to shuttle between Germany and Austria.
Bruno Kreisky, Jew, liberal reformist, and politician dedicated to human rights, served as Austrian chancellor in 1970-1983. Kreisky opposed Zionism as panacea to the problems of the world’s Jews; he cultivated friendly relations with Arab leaders; and had tense relationships with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and other Jewish figures.
Ronald S. Lauder was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as Ambassador to Austria in April 1986 and served until October 1987. During his tenure, Lauder forged strong diplomatic bonds between the U.S. and Austria, while personally repudiating the Austrian President Kurt Waldheim. Austrian President Kurt Waldheim, for Waldheim’s involvement with the Nazi party during World War II.
Austrian Jews have contributed immensely to world thought and culture. Famous Austrian Jews include Sigmund Freud, the revolutionary psychoanalyst and thinker; Gustav Mahler, world-famous composer, and writers Arthur Schnitzler, Franz Werfel, Stefan Zweig, Jakob Wassermann, and famous Viennese Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal.
Jewish Organizations
Israelitische Kultusgemeinde GRAZ, David-Herzog-Platz 1 Graz A-8020 http://www.ikg-graz.at/
Israelitische Kultusgemeinde SALZBURG, Lasserstrasse 8 Salzburg 5020 http://www.ikg-salzburg.at/
Israelitische Kultusgemeinde WIEN, Seitenstettengasse 4 Vienna 1010 Tel: 01-531-04-111 http://www.ikg-wien.at/
Synagogues
Baden
Baden Synagogue Grabengasse 14 Baden 2500 Modern Orthodox http://www.jewishcommunity.at
Innsbruck
Innsbruck Synagogue Website Sillgasse 15, A-6020 Innsbruck http://www.ikg-innsbruck.at/
Linz
Linz Synagogue A-4020 Linz, Bethlehemstrasse 26 Linz Liberal Tel: 0732-77-98-05
Salzburg
Chabad Lubavitch House-Salzburg Schwarzparkstrasse 11 Salzburg 5020 Chabad Lubavitch Tel: 43 664 794 4194
Vienna
Agudas Yeshurun Riemergasse 9 Vienna 1010 Orthodox
Agudas Yisroel Templegasse 3 Vienna
Bet Hamidrash Torah Etz-Chayim Grosse Schiffgasse 8 Vienna Orthodox
Machsike Haddas Grosse Mohrengasse 19 Vienna Orthodox Tel: 01- 214- 1347
Main Synagogue Seitenstettengasse 4 Vienna 1010 Modern Orthodox Tel: 01-531-04-111 update
High Holidays
Merkas Chabad Lubavitch Grunentorgrasse 26 Vienna 1090 Chabad Lubavitch Tel: 431- 334 1818 Fax: 431 334 1818
Misrachi Judeenplatz 8 Vienna Tel: 01- 535- 4153
Ohel Moshe Lilienbrunngasse 19 Vienna Orthodox Tel: 01- 216- 8864
Or Chadasch, Robertgasse 2, 1020 Vienna, Progressive, Tel: +43 1 967 1329 http://www.orchadasch.at
Jewish Museums
Jewish Museum Vienna http://www.jmw.at/en/museum.html
Jewish Museum Eisenstadt http://www.ojm.at/
Jewish Museum Hohenems http://www.jm-hohenems.at/
Jewish Cultural Life
Cafe Teitelbaum and Singer Bookstore (located both in the Jewish Museum Vienna)
Jewish Choir Vienna http://www.wjchor.at/wjc.htm
Other
Zwi Peres Chajes School http://www.zpc.at/
Hakoah Sporting Club http://www.hakoah.at/
Sources
Deak I. (1990). Jewish Soldiers in Austro-Hungarian Society, New York: Leo Baeck Institute
Gaisbauer A. (1998). Davidstern und Doppeladler Zionismus und jüdischer Nationalismus in Österreich 1882-1918. Wien: Böhlau
Mather M. (2007). Anti-Semitism as a Parameter in Deviant Behaviour.
