A band of some 60 former members of Nazi youth organizations last night precipitated the first serious outbreak of anti-Semitism in ###untria since the end of the war. Before the riot was over nearly 30 Jews had been in injured, at least a dozen seriously.The Nazis gathered in front of a theatre in Salzburg where the film “Immortal beloved,” produced by Veit Harlan, director of the Nazi-made anti-Semitic film “Jew###ess,” was being shown. A demonstration–the second this week–against the film had been scheduled by Jews and others protesting the showing of Harlan’s production. The Nazis began shouting: “Jews and Americans get out.”Fighting broke out shortly thereafter and the police intervened. Jewish leaders who participated in the demonstration charge that the police made little or no attempt to halt the Nazi provocation, but turned on the Jews instead. The police forced the Jews into a cul de sac and then, together with the Nazis, swung truncheons. is the demonstrators broke and ran, police, Nazis and many bystanders joined in the attack, using clubs and throwing stones.
Among the twelve persons seriously injured were; Pinkas Spiegal, member of the executive of the Salzburg Jewish community; Ferdinand Putz, chairman of the league of Socialist Fighters for Freedom; Frieda Scharf; and Stefan Ornstein, who suffered a fractured skull. One woman, unnamed, is reported to be in serious condition in a hospital. All the severely injured victims were hit in the head.
The only positive action taken by the police during the riot was to disperse the Nazi horde when it attempted to storm the headquarters of the Jewish Community after it ran out of individual Jewish victims. One high ranking police official was heard to remark during the riot: “You Jews should be beheaded.” One result of the affair was that the management of the theatre withdrew the film.
Herman Einziger, president of the Salzburg Jewish Community, immediately lodged a protest with the local authorities. He charged that Hitler Youth movement members were involved. A spokesmen for the community revealed that before the protest threatening telephone calls had been received from the Nazis. The Socialist League, which was involved in the demonstration, protested to Minister of the Interior Oskar Helmer against the police behaviour in the riot. charging that they beat the peaceful demonstrators to a far greater extent than the Nazi provocateurs.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
