The entire Fond 714, 1903-1938 (134 Dela) contains the Austrian Jewish Union charts for 1903-1937, minutes, correspondence with local Jewish organizations campaigning against antisemitism and fundraising for charitable purposes; circulars on rules for electing boards of Jewish religious communities; accounts of the activities of Jewish religious community of Vienna, 1925-1928; brochures, and issues of the Jewish newspapers “Jűdische Welt”, “Jűdische Rundschau”, “Die Wahreit”, and “Jűdische-liberale Zeitung”, as well as issues of the German newspapers “National Zeitung” and “Reichspost”, and informational bulletins and journals. Selected records consists of minutes of the central executive committee of the Union Österreicher Juden as well as name lists of members. Also included is information about the evacuation of Hamburg Jews in July 1942; correspondence, including numerous complaints to the Fatherland Front about antisemitic incidents; letters to the mayor of Vienna and to Chancellor Schuschnigg complaining about flyers and ads promoting boycotts of Jewish businesses; a report on the Nuremberg Laws; copies of publications of the Austrian National Jewish Youth; and newspaper clippings. Note: USHMM Archives holds only selected records.
Rossiĭskiĭ gosudarstvennyĭ voennyĭ arkhiv
2 microfilm reels (partial), 16 mm 1,440 digital images, JPEG
Union of Austrian Jews, Vienna Union österreichischer Juden, Wien (Fond 714)
Union Ősterreichicher Juden (Wien)-The Union of Austrian Jews was formed in 1886 and, until 1919 was called the Austrian Israelite Union. It was renamed to the Union of German Austrian Jews and, in 1931 to the Union of Austrian Jews. The union was a first Jewish organization in Central Europe to defend the interests of Jews. The union was well prepared for the anti-Semitic riots of 1896, which escalated, especially in Bohemia. They informed the press and government regularly about the state of the riots and asked for support. A legal protection bureau was founded to provide free assistance to Jews whose rights had been violated. After the serious riots of 1898 in Galicia, they initiated a thorough investigation into the circumstances of their fellow-believers. This resulted in the founding of the Galician Hilfsverein . From 1888, the union published a monthly magazine called"Mittheilungen der Oesterreichisch-Israelitischen Union" which was to spread its ideas and views. From 1892, the calendar for Israelites, which is one of the best yearbooks of Jewish life, was also published. Later, the weekly"The Trut" became the organ of the Union. In the interwar Austria, the union operated as multipurpose organization: selected candidates for election to the council of the Jewish religious community of Vienna, published the weekly liberal newspaper"Die Wahreit,” financed the women's club, and sections for students and youth, and later organized various lectures, courses, and social events. In the 1930', the union opened a credit bureau to support Jewish small business. In the late 1930's, the union's popularity declined markedly, in election to the Jewish religious community council in 1932, the union lost its previous majority to the Zionists. By 1938, its membership fell to 3,000.
Copyright Holder: Rossiĭskiĭ gosudarstvennyĭ voennyĭ arkhiv
Fond 714 (1903-1938). Opis 1-2; Dela 134. Selected records arranged in three series: 1. Name lists of union's members; 2. Correspondence, letters, minutes, and reports of the union, 1935-1942; 3. Documents and newspaper clipping relating to anti-Jewish propaganda, 1937-1938. Note: Location of digital images; Partial microfilm reels #102-103; Reel 102: Image #1604-Reel end; Reel 103: Reel start-Image #780.