Neither the Jewish Community Council, nor the Central Jewish Committee was invited to a meeting yesterday called by the Minister of the Interior at which he discussed the question of restitution of confiscated property, and presented the draft of the Government’s proposed restitution law.
Those invited included representatives of non-Jewish bodies such as the organization of concentration camp prisoners, the organization of victims of the Nazi courts and four partisan groups. However, the Jewish section of the Union of Concentration Camp Prisoners was also invited.
The law, as outlined at the meeting, recognizes two main groups of Nazi victims: those who were placed in concentration camps or who fought with the Austrian partisans; and those who lost property or otherwise suffered from Nazi activity. Leftist groups protested an effort to recognize members of the Heimwehr as victims, pointing out that although they opposed the Nazis before the Anschluss, they never fought for democracy, but were, themselves, a semi-fascist group.
David Brill, president of the Jewish Community Council, complained today that although Vienna’s mayor promised a fortnight ago that something would be done to find decent accommodations for Jews within three days, he still has not acted.
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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.
