History of the Jews in Austria

History of the Jews in Austria
Group	Jews in Austria
Native name	Jüdische Österreicher
Population	~10,000–15,000 (c. 2020)
Regions	Primarily Vienna
Languages	German, Hebrew, Yiddish
Religions	Judaism
Related groups	Ashkenazi Jews, German Jews, Hungarian Jews

History of the Jews in Austria traces the presence of Jewish communities in the territories of modern Austria from the Roman Empire to the present. The community experienced periods of significant cultural and economic flourishing, particularly in Vienna, but also endured severe persecution, expulsions, and the devastation of the Holocaust. The post-war era has seen a small but revitalized community re-establish itself, centered in the capital.

Early history to the Middle Ages

The first evidence of Jewish people in the region dates to the Roman province of Noricum, with an edict from the Emperor Constantine I in the early 4th century regulating their status. Following the Migration Period, documented settlements emerged in the 9th century under the Carolingian Empire, particularly in Regensburg and along the Danube. By the High Middle Ages, important communities existed in Vienna, Krems, and Wiener Neustadt, often under the direct protection of the Babenberg dukes and later the House of Habsburg. The Fourth Council of the Lateran in 1215 imposed the wearing of the Jewish badge, and local persecutions occurred during the Rintfleisch massacres of 1298. The community faced a major catastrophe with the Vienna Gesera of 1420-21 under Duke Albert V, resulting in executions, forced conversions, and the expulsion of Jews from the Archduchy of Austria.

From expulsion to toleration (15th–18th centuries)

Following the expulsions, only a handful of court financiers were permitted to reside in Vienna, such as Joseph von Wertheimer and Samuel Oppenheimer. The Counter-Reformation intensified restrictions, leading to the establishment of a ghetto in Leopoldstadt in 1624. The Thirty Years' War increased the financial reliance of the Holy Roman Emperor on Jewish bankers. A major shift began under Empress Maria Theresa, whose initially hostile policies, including the expulsion from Prague, gave way to limited toleration. Her son, Emperor Joseph II, issued the revolutionary Edict of Tolerance in 1782, which abolished the Jewish badge, allowed access to certain professions and schools, and initiated the process of Jewish emancipation.

Emancipation and the Golden Age (19th century–1918)

Full legal emancipation was achieved with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 and the subsequent December Constitution. This period saw an unprecedented cultural and intellectual flourishing known as a "Golden Age," centered in Vienna. The community grew rapidly, with Jews playing leading roles in fin de siècle culture, science, and commerce. Key figures included founder of Zionism Theodor Herzl, psychologist Sigmund Freud, writer Stefan Zweig, composer Gustav Mahler, and in politics, Victor Adler of the Social Democratic Party of Austria. However, this success fueled modern political antisemitism, exemplified by the rise of Karl Lueger as mayor of Vienna and the ideologies of Georg von Schönerer.

The First Republic and the rise of antisemitism (1918–1938)

The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire left a large Jewish population in the rump state of the First Austrian Republic. While prominent in social democratic circles like the Red Vienna administration, Jews faced increasing hostility from the Christian Social Party and burgeoning Austrofascism. Paramilitary forces like the Heimwehr espoused antisemitic views. The community was diverse, comprising Yiddish-speaking refugees from Galicia, Zionist groups, and highly assimilated Viennese. The July Revolt of 1927 and the Austrian Civil War of 1934 heightened political tensions, creating a fertile ground for Nazism.

The Holocaust and World War II (1938–1945)

The Anschluss with Nazi Germany in March 1938 unleashed immediate, violent persecution during the Kristallnacht pogrom in November, where synagogues like the Stadttempel were destroyed. Adolf Eichmann established the Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung in Vienna to expedite forced emigration and confiscate property. Following the Wannsee Conference, systematic deportation to ghettos and extermination camps began. Major transit sites included the Aspangbahnhof in Vienna. Over 65,000 Austrian Jews were murdered in camps such as Auschwitz, Theresienstadt, and Sobibor. Notable victims included writer Else Feldmann and philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein's family.

Post-war community and contemporary period

After World War II, only about 5,000 survivors remained in Austria. The Jewish Community Vienna (Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien) was re-established. Austria long propagated the myth of being the "first victim" of Nazism, delaying restitution and confronting its complicity. From the 1970s, an influx of immigrants from the Soviet Union and later from Post-Soviet states revitalized the community. The 1985 terrorist attack on the Stadttempel highlighted ongoing security concerns. Commemorative institutions like the Jewish Museum Vienna and the Memorial against War and Fascism were established. Today, the community of approximately 10,000-15,000 remains centered in Vienna, navigating challenges of right-wing populism, preserving memory, and maintaining a vibrant religious and cultural life.

Category:Jewish Austrian history Category:Ethnic groups in Austria