History of the Jews in Lower Austria 1782-1938

The target of this project is to write down the history of Jews in Lower Austria, beginning with the Age of Tolerance, up to the development of Jewish communities in the mid-19th century, and finally the eve of destruction of the communities in 1938. Covering this period of time, it will give an integrated history of Jews in Lower Austria and their 15 communities, with regard to political, cultural, religious, social and economic questions. This doesn`t only allow to compare the various Jewish Communities among themselves, but this part of history, which has yet been neglected in the fields of literature and research, will also help to strengthen the position of Austrian- Jewish history studies on an international level. It will be investigated, which parts of the Monarchy the first Jewish settlers of the mid-19th century came from, under which circumstances their communities were founded, how these communities were developing in the following decades, and how their infrastructure (synagogues, cemeteries) was established. An analysis of the demographic development within the Jewish population of Lower Austria up to 1938, as well as the analysis of the economic and social structure of the Jewish Communities, will allow to compare them to other Austrian and Central-European Jewish Communities. One of the questions that will be discussed is the degree of Jewish integration into a mostly gentile society, as well as the integration of the Jewish Communities into the public life of the cities, where they were based. By means of case examples, the problems of assimilation an secularization will be analysed, as well as their affects on the Jewish Communities, including the problems of religious conversions and mixed marriages, and the resulting conflicts within the communities. An analysis of community elections, as well as the comparison of the election results, will give an insight into the political situation within the communities. The project will further deal with community conflicts regarding religious questions. Another emphasis will be put on the Jewish associational life, and also on the confrontation of the Jewish Communities and the Jewish population of Lower Austria with Antisemitism. Further research will be done on the communities` defence actions, in particular in view of the consequences they caused. Another focus will be on the beginning of Zionism in Lower Austria and its development up to 1938. The project will further deal with the aftermath of World War I, and its affects on Austria`s Jewish community. Another issue the project will deal with is the position of Jews in Lower Austria in the political conflicts of the First Republic, as well as their situation in connection with the "Ständestaat" (corporative state) and the conflicts with the developing Nazi-Movement of the 1930s.

The target of this project is to write down the history of Jews in Lower Austria, beginning with the Age of Tolerance, up to the development of Jewish communities in the mid-19th century, and finally the eve of destruction of the communities in 1938. Covering this period of time, it will give an integrated history of Jews in Lower Austria and their 15 communities, with regard to political, cultural, religious, social and economic questions. This doesn`t only allow to compare the various Jewish Communities among themselves, but this part of history, which has yet been neglected in the fields of literature and research, will also help to strengthen the position of Austrian- Jewish history studies on an international level. It will be investigated, which parts of the Monarchy the first Jewish settlers of the mid-19th century came from, under which circumstances their communities were founded, how these communities were developing in the following decades, and how their infrastructure (synagogues, cemeteries) was established. An analysis of the demographic development within the Jewish population of Lower Austria up to 1938, as well as the analysis of the economic and social structure of the Jewish Communities, will allow to compare them to other Austrian and Central-European Jewish Communities. One of the questions that will be discussed is the degree of Jewish integration into a mostly gentile society, as well as the integration of the Jewish Communities into the public life of the cities, where they were based. By means of case examples, the problems of assimilation an secularization will be analysed, as well as their affects on the Jewish Communities, including the problems of religious conversions and mixed marriages, and the resulting conflicts within the communities. An analysis of community elections, as well as the comparison of the election results, will give an insight into the political situation within the communities. The project will further deal with community conflicts regarding religious questions. Another emphasis will be put on the Jewish associational life, and also on the confrontation of the Jewish Communities and the Jewish population of Lower Austria with Antisemitism. Further research will be done on the communities` defence actions, in particular in view of the consequences they caused. Another focus will be on the beginning of Zionism in Lower Austria and its development up to 1938. The project will further deal with the aftermath of World War I, and its affects on Austria`s Jewish community. Another issue the project will deal with is the position of Jews in Lower Austria in the political conflicts of the First Republic, as well as their situation in connection with the "Ständestaat" (corporative state) and the conflicts with the developing Nazi-Movement of the 1930s.