The Austrian National Library 1938-1945

Since the Austrian government established the Commission of Historians and the federal law on the restitution of art works from federal museums and collections went into force in 1998, the fate of essentially Jewish property and assets and post-war restitution as well as the examination of acquisitions by museums, libraries and collection in the years 1938 to 1945 and restitution proceedings after World War Two have been the focal point of discussion both at the institutional and scholarly level. Although the Austrian National Library, a key element in the country`s cultural identity, falls under the jurisdiction of the above-mentioned law and has provided the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture with internal reports on provenance research, none of this information has been made public and little has been written on the history of the library during the Nazi period. Notable exceptions are the official history written almost thirty years ago by the librarian Ernst Trenkler and references to some of the library`s acquisitions in a recent book by Evelyn Adunka (Der Raub der Bücher). The aim of this project is to go beyond Trenkler`s depiction. It will examine and evaluate internal archival material not at his disposal as well as relevant files in other institutions in Vienna such as the Austrian State Archives and the Vienna City Archives. Unrestricted access to all relevant archival material within the National Library is absolutely essential. The result will be a study of the acquisitions and policy of the library`s printed works and manuscripts departments which, in the words of the library`s General Director, Dr. Johanna Rachinger, will present "an objective and comprehensive depiction of this unpleasant chapter in the history of the National Library". The project will address a wide range of questions, among them the role foreseen for or played by the National Library during the Nazi period as a depository for stolen or confiscated books and private libraries. Was this role an active or a passive one? What function did the National Library have within the framework of official Nazi policy on libraries? What role did Paul Heigl, the Nazi commissary who took over the library immediately after the annexation of Austria, personally have to play in the confiscation of books? What acquisitions were made by the National Library (exemplary cases) and what happened to them? What role did the National Library play in the post-war restitution process and what effort did it make to return stolen property to the rightful owners? A number of exemplary cases will be déalt with in detail.