''J Vol. XVI No. 1 January, 1961 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH REFUGEES IN GREAT BRITAIN I FAIRFAX MANSIONS, 0//ice and Consulting Hours: FINCHLEY ROAD (Corner Fairlax Road), LONDON, N.W.3 Monday to Thursday 10 a.m.—I p.m. 3—i p.m Telephone: MAIda Vala 9096'7 IGaneral Office) Friday 10 a.m.—I p.m. MAIda Vale 4449 (Employment Agency and Social Servicet Dept.) AUSTRIAN PAPER ATTACKS A NEW PHASE ERICH LUETH The Struggle for Indemnification of Austrian Nazi Victims During a recent stay in Israel, Erich Lueth, the The patience of the victims of Nazi persecu­ State of Israel, and the Claims Conference Director of the Press Office in Hamburg and one of the most determined fighters for a genuine tion in and from Austria has been sorely tried culminated in a comprehensive indemnifica­ understanding between Christians and Jews, in by the way in which their claims for indemni­ tion legislation in favour of the Nazi victims an interview published in the Jerusalem Post. fication have been treated. Piecemeal legisla­ in and from Germany. As a matter of prin­ commented on Austria's failure to compensate her tion provided some benefits to certain ciple, the Austrian Nazi victims were excluded Nazi victims. " The most damaging gap in our categories, but the principal demands for a from the range of beneficiaries. reparations is the non-payment to Jewish sur­ measure of compensation for the losses suffered Hardened by their disappointing experiences, vivors from Austria. The historical truth is that by the members of the Jewish community of the Jewish Nazi victims from Austria, there­ Hitler was welcomed as Fuehrer by miUions of Austria have not yet been met, although fifteen Austrians. The S.S. and the concentration camps fore, note with cautious optimism that nego­ were staffed with many Austrians, as active as years have passed since the liberation of the tiations have been initiated between the Ger­ countr>' by the Allied Powers. their German henchmen in the persecution of man and Austrian Governments on a German Jews. Without them, persecution on so vast a Both the Austrian and German Federal contribution to the expenses Austria will have scale would have been impossible. Austria robbed Republics have been unwilling to accept, or to incur when enacting her long-promised legis­ Jewish property and destroyed Jewish lives. It is even to share, responsibility for the acts of lation providing compensation for the main intolerable and di^onest for Austria to dodge her maltreatment and spoliation to which Austrian categories of losses suffered by the Austrian share of responsibility in what was done." Nazi victims. Particular care will have to be Jews were subjected during the Nazi period. The spirit still prevailing in some sections of The surviving Jewish victims of Nazi persecu­ taken that the Jewish survivors from Austria the Austrian population is reflected in the follow­ tion have thus become also the victims of a now living abroad, numbering well over 90,000, ing attack on Mr. Lueth's statement, published in refusal of two States which succeeded to the obtain a fair deal. The inclination of Austrian the Salzburger Volksblatt, which speaks for heritage of the Third Reich to render justice politicians to discriminate against the itself : 'o a group which suffered from Austrian and " emigres" has proved a serious obstacle to " Wir Oesterreicher werden es verschmerzen, German hands and whose assets "disappeared" a satisfactory settlement of the Jewish claims. was der Hamburger Senator ofiFenbar in dem in the Austrian, as well as in the German, The principle of non-discrimination in Austrian Bestreben verzapft, die Butter von seinem economy. Austria's jwlitical leaders have post-war legislation, as far as the Jewish Nazi eigenen Kopf wegzubringen. Es rundet nur scin shown a strong disinclination to face the issue victims from Austria are affected, was explicitly Charakterbild, wenn er dem deutschen Vok einc °f collective responsibility. No attempt has accepted by the Austrian Federal Chancellor Kollektivschuld aniastet, von der sich dieser ti^n made by them to follow the example of Raab as a first concession when negotiations schaebige Schlaumeier durch parterreakrobatische President Heuss and to instil in the Austrian between the Austrian Government and the Kunststuecke zu befreien versucht". people a feeling of collective shame for the Committee for Jewish Claims on Austria, The same paper had already previously adopted crimes committed against the Jews by a con­ headed by Dr. Nahum Goldmann, started in a hostile attitude to foreign Jewish holiday- siderable section of the population. 1953. The basic principle must be applied makers who had objected to a piece of popular without qualification in any arrangement made art demonstrating anti-Semitic sentiments : It will be remembered that in 1938 the with the intention to benefit the Austrian Jewish " We do not care for Jewish foreigners who ^ustrians enthusiastically welcomed their victims of National-Socialist jjersecution. come to Salzburg apparently not in order to fellow-countryman Adolf Hitler, when he recuperate but to ascertain with satisfaction that liberated " their country and made it a part F.L.B. we are still ' Nazis '." ^ his Greater German Reich. During the r'azi era the Austrians played their full part 'n the persecution, humiliation and spoliation TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF ZENTRALRAT of the Jews. Once more liberated—^by the Allied Powers—in 1945, they adopted the atti­ On the occasion of the tenth anniversary cele­ Jewish Jife in Germany and the establishment of tude of a poor innocent victim of wicked Ger- brations in Berlin of the Central Council of Jews the Central Council were expressions of the con­ in Germany, the representative body of the Jewish fidence German Jews placed in the determination [Tian aggression—very conveniently disregard- communities in the German Federal Republic, of responsible German leaders to build up a truly 'ng their contribution to the German war effort, Chancellor Dr. Adenauer sent a message of con­ democratic German State. r'or the victims of Nazi persecution—above all, gratulation. He especially lauded the contribution Dr. van Dam, Secretary-General of the Central the Jewish survivors—the new Austrian Repub- of the Council towards the efforts of German- Council, referring to the anti-Semitic incidents at 'c has shown a minimum of consideration. Jewish reconciliation. He also welcomed the fact the beginning of I960, declared that German Jews that Berlin had been chosen as the venue of the would not let themselves be intimidated by such LegislatioD on Meagre Scale conference, because, for generations, Jews had excesses. A revival of Nazism would mean certain taken an important part in the political and and total chaos for Germany. He also stressed Legislation to indemnify these victims has cultural life of that city. that, whilst the Zentralrat joined hands with !^n on a meagre, miserly scale, while the The opening ceremony of the conference was other fighters for democracy, it did not wish to , rehabilitation of the Austrian Nazis has addressed by Herr Ernst Lemmer, the Federal play the role of a " praeceptor Germaniae", a beie n carried out with eagerness and speed. Minister for All-German Affairs, who extended teacher of Germany, He appealed to the Jews J>tistria has still failed to live up to her obliga- greetings on behalf of the Federal President. Dr. in Germany to be aware of their public duties as Luebke, and the Federal Government. He German citizens. ml "°<^^rta'^«n under the State Treaty of expressed satisfaction at the rehabilitation of Jeanette Wolff, Berlin Member of Parliament, .. ^5, to make provision by legislation for the Jewish life in Germany, and said that fortunately referred to opposition from abroad in the early Persecuted minority groups "; nor has she yet Nazi plans to extinguish all traces of Jewish con­ post-war years to setting up Jewish communities and ^ a Property Restoration Fund as formally tributions to the spiritual and cultural developinent in Germany again. This, she said, had only led to ft ^xpressly provided by her Agreement with of the Gennan people through the ages had failed. positive initiative. The German Jewish community ;-^,°ritish, American and French Governments Senator Joachim Lipschitz, who spoke on was a bridge between Jews everywhere. in 1959 behalf of the City of Berlin, recalled that the At the actual conference of the Zentralrat's Nazis had never succeeded in conquering the Board, a wide range of subjects was covered. It ine political and moral climate for obtain- hearts of all Berliners and that now, so far as was particularly remarkable that the Conference ^^ '".ecompense for the losses suffered by the only town, Berlin had honoured courageous dealt not only with political, legal and financial to Jewry has thus been less conducive citizens who had assisted the Jewirfi persecutees. problems but that ways and means of intensifying neo^"?^^^^ th^n the atmosphere in which the The President of the West Berlin Jewish com­ cultural work and religious education also played aOtiations conducted between Germany, the munity, Herr Heinz Galinski, said the revival of a prominent part in the deliberations. Page 2 AJR INFORMATION January, 1961 FROM THE GERMAIN SCEl^E COMPENSATIOIS ISEWS WAR CRIMINALS' PENSIONS TREATMENT OF NAZI VICTIMS INVESTIGATION OF HEYDE CASE CRITICISED According to a statement of Secretary of State A Parliamentary Investigation Committee in Georg Anders of the Federal Ministry of the Over the signatures of Professor Norman Bent­ Interior, the Bonn Government is to take legis­ Kiel is investigating charges that State officials in Schleswig-Holstein had for several years known wich, Lord Chorley and Mr. John Foster, Q.C , lative steps to stop those guilty of Nazi crimes M.P., a letter was published in The Times of against humanity receiving pensions.