Information * Issued by the Association of Jewish Refugees in Great Britain
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Volume XXV No. 8 August, 1970 INFORMATION * ISSUED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH REFUGEES IN GREAT BRITAIN F. L. Brassloff Documentation Centre would report Dr. Gratz to the authorities. He alleged that Gratz had committed the offence of defamation by calling the Centre a " Feme-Organisation ". Evidence FROM THE AUSTRIAN SCENE would be produced to show that the " revela tions " on the Nazi records of Ministers had been provided by Socialist sources. The threat Three months ago Austria commemorated pointed out that Dr. Oellinger had left the of criminal proceedings cannot be taken very the twenty-fifth anniversary of her liberation S.S. during the war to join the German Army. seriously. Equally unrealistic is the altemative and her re-emergence as a democratic repub After Oellinger had resigned from the Govern posed by the Director of the Documentation lic. Her success in establishing herself as an ment for health reasons, the Federal Chan Centre : " For the Nazis or for Wiesenthal— economically prosperous and politically neutral cellor paid him the excessive compliment that that is the basic question, facing now not only state was recorded with feeling of deep satis he would not hesitate to reappoint him. many people all over the world but also all faction. It soon transpired that the new Minister for Jews ".. Agriculture, Dr. Weihs, had also been a mem There is little inclination to remember the The Presidium of the Vienna Jewish Com seven years when she formed a part of Greater ber of the National Socialist Party. Additional publicity, aimed at embarrassing the Socialists, munity, on whose board, consisting of twenty- permany. Former Nazis were quickly rehabili five members, Wiesenthal's Association of tated ; they were willingly accepted and ab was devoted to the record of the Minister of the Interior, Herr Roesch, who had failed after Jewish Persecutees has five seats, reasserted sorbed by the democratic parties. The partici in a declaration " the right of every Jew and pation of Austrians in the persecution, spolia the war to divulge his membership with the NSDAP and the S.A. After the liberation, of every Austrian patriot to name former tion and liquidation of Jews belongs to the National Socialists and especially former mem issues of which most people do not wish to be Roesch was indicted for being involved in neo- reminded. The more praiseworthy are the Nazi activities but acquitted because of insufB- bers of the S.A. and the S.S., if they aspire to ^norts at enlightenment, made by such compe cent evidence. He then joined the Socialist public office or hold such a position". The tent experts as Karl Schubert, Professor for Party and started a successful political career. Israel Ambassador, Mr. Zeev Shek, stressed judaic Studies at Vienna University, Mrs. In the publicity campaign a Conservative in a reply to an enquiry by an Austrian weekly Erika Weinzierl, who teaches contemporary Austrian Catholic journal and the German that Mr. Wiesenthal has no connection with history at the University of Salzburg, and Dr. magazine " Der Spiegel" joined forces with the Israel Government. He maintained that •'^nton Massiczek, the author of a thought- the Director of the Documentation Centre of the Jews in Israel and Jews all over the world Provoking book on the Jewish humanism of the Association of Jewish Persecutees of the were taking an active interest in the work of t^arl Marx and other stimulating studies on Nazi Regime, Mr. Simon Wiesenthal, who has the Documentation Centre as hundreds of thou antisemitism. The Archives of the Austrian established himself in Austria as a popular sands had suffered under the Nazi regime and Resistance and the " Action against anti- controversial figure. It is acknowledged that were therefore interested in a just punishment Semitism " are engaged in eradicating wide he has made notable contributions to tracing of war criminals. Very appropriately and spread ignorance and deeply rooted prejudices. Nazi criminals, but his unorthodox methods understandably, any appearance of a close in are less appreciated. Moreover, Mr. Wiesenthal volvement in the polemics between Mr. Wie senthal and the Socialist leadership was Kreisky and Ex-Nazis has given the impression of a self-appointed avenger of the victims of Nazi persecution, avoided. The affair will hardly remain a major The election success of the Socialist Party with a certain anti-socialist bent. A Parliamen topic in Austria. under the leadership of Dr. Bruno Kreisky, tary Committee has objected to his Documen Federal Chancellor Kreisky has found it ^nown to be of Jewish extraction, in March tation Centre acting as an intelligence and necessary to make his own position clear. ^'^0, has been interpreted as an indication for secret service outfit and thus assuming func When asked on Austrian television whether antisemitism having ceased to be of relevance tions due to the competent authorities. Mr. protests from American Jewish quarters Ij^ Austria. According to " Die Gemeinde", Wiesenthal's reputation abroad, his authorship against the threat of closing the " Jewish ne monthly of the Vienna Jewish Community, of the book " The Murderers Among Us," and Documentation Centre" would raise difficul owever, many Austrians appear to be grieved the attention his frequent statements have ties, he replied : " That is not important." Mr. ^t the appointment of a Jew as Federal Chan often obtained in the international press, do Wiesenthal stated on Dutch television that he cellor. One of the typical jokes in circulation not overawe the Austrian public. His promi would sue Dr. Kreisky for libel as the Federal s the " news item " on the transfer of the seat nent role in the campaign against members Chancellor had described him as " a Jewish t government from Vienna to Judenburg. of the Government, however, caused the Party Fascist". j^ The skilful and determined politician leadership to take counter-action. Observers of the German political scene may peisky has adopted an attitude of contemp- At the Convention of the Party, its new be surprised at the excitement caused by com uous non-concern about the vulgar antisemitic General Secretary, Dr. Gratz, a gifted member paratively minor " revelations " about persons ights to which he has repeatedly been sub of Dr. Kreisky's team of young bright men active in Austrian politics. The Federal Re jected. Moreover, he belongs to those Socialist and Minister of Education in his Government, public of Germany has certainly shown much eaders who tend to ignore the Nazi past of used threatening language : " It will soon be more determination to counteract Nazism and Persons who have been integrated into the seen whether the State needs still the private antisemitism, but membership of National political and social life of the country. He has ' Feme-Organisaition ' of Mr. Wiesenthal ", with Socialist organisations has proved to be no |, ?'"efore also gained adherents and sympa- whom, he said, the Conservative People's Party obstacle to gaining high office, even when com ^sers for his Party and himself among for- and the " Deutsche Nationai-Zeitung" had bined with holding responsible positions in the er National Socialists. When it was, however, formed " a grotesque alliance". The term administration of the Third Reich. As so often, J. Sealed, shortly after the liberation celebra- " Feme-Organisation" was no doubt out of Austria lags behind in giving some attention •^Ds, that a member of his Government, the place. The delegates, some of whom were to this issue. It should, however, not be too ^g'^ister for Agriculture, Dr. Hans Oellinger, unhappy at the tolerant attitude of the Party late for her politicians and educators to con d been a member of the Nazi underground leadership to former Nazis, did not applaud cern themselves seriously with the task of im "ovement prior to the " Anschluss " and sub- Dr. Gratz's unwitty remark : " I am still wait pressing upon the younger generation the need ^quently a member of the S.S., the habitual ing for the day when the attempt will be made for resisting attempts to minimise the part ustrian complacency received a shock. to prove that our Party Chairman had belonged played by a large part of the Austrian popula wh^^'^ bravely stood up for his appointee of to the NSDAP ". tion in upholding the evil doctrines and prac nose past he had had no knowledge and Mr. Wiesenthal, in turn, announced that his tices of Nazism. Page 2 AJR INFORMATION August, 1970 the Hon. Officers were re-elected and elected respectively in accordance with the proposals AJR GENERAL MEETING submitted by the Executive and published in the June issue of AJR Information. This On June 18, the Annual General Meeting and ordinances now under consideration. They means that Dr. Eric Dux, a member of the of the AJR was held at Hannah Karminski concerned, inter alia, the drafts of a new Social Otto Hirsch House Committee, and Mr. F. Kol House. In his opening address the Chairman, , Security Law and of a new Implementary mar, Chairman of the Heinrich Stahl House Mr. A. S. Dresel, paid tribute to the memory Order to the Federal Indemnification Law Committee, were elected as new members of of members of the AJR Board who had passed (BEG) which envisages the retroactive in the Executive. The new members of the Board away : Mr. Selmar Boehm, Dr. Richard Fuchs, crease of annuities. Furthermore, as the are Mrs. Eva Trent, a member of the House Mr. Jul'US Lowenthal, Mrs. Gertrud Schachne, result of efforts in which the Council took an Committee for Eleanor Rathbone House, and and Dr. Martin Levy (Leicester). important part, it is now to be expected that Mr. H. C. Mayer, Chairman of the Otto Hirsch Reviewing the current activities of the AJR, by an Implementary Order to the Lastenaus gleichsgesetz, losses sustained in that part of House Committee.