The Jewish Medical Association today asked that the anti-Semitic press be confiscated and other measures taken to stop the allegations against Jewish doctors which have been appearing in various newspapers and which have resulted in the dismissal of many Jewish doctors from their posts.
Delegations of the Jewish physicians’ group called upon the presidium of the Landesgericht (land court) and police authorities to register their protest. Another delegation is also scheduled to appear directly before the government.
In the meantime, Jewish doctors are still being ousted from municipal hospitals and from hospitals in the provinces. It is estimated that more than a hundred have already lost their positions, while many more will be affected by two decrees issued by the government yesterday to the effect that any lawyer, doctor or druggist who was ever engaged professionally by Socialists, Communists or Nazis be forbidden to practice.
Led by the Christian Socialist party, an intensified attack has begun in Austria on Jewish professionals. The attack is centered at the moment on Jewish doctors, a considerable number of whom were employed by the state. The Christian Socialist press and even the Nazi papers are filled with allegations against Jewish doctors.
A canard that was repeated widely in the last few days declared that Jewish school doctors insulted school girls during the course of physical examinations. Despite the fact that the story was an obvious lie, since such examinations were conducted in the presence of school nurses and gymnastic instructors, thirty Jewish doctors were dismissed from their posts. Other Jewish doctors were informed that their contracts would not be renewed.
Dr. Richard Schmuetz, recently appointed Mayor of Vienna by the Dollfuss regime, repeated the story at a Catholic conference in Vienna and announced that he would dismiss all Jewish doctors employed by the municipality.
The Christian Socialist party, headed by Dr. Emmerich Czermak, demanded the dismissal of Jews from Austrian professional and public life and restrictive measures against Jewish political rights.
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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.
