More Jewish Leaders Seized in Vienna; Visas for “aryans” Only; Vandalism Renewed

While German troops stood guard, secret police today visited the Jewish Community offices and took away Dr. Desider Friedmann, president of the Austrian Zionist Organization and former president of the Community.

During the search for Dr. Friedmann, Nazi elite guards detained rabbi Friedmann, Chassidic spiritual leader and head of the famous Sadegora dynasty, in an official car outside. The guards released the rabbi when Dr. Friedmann was found.

Among others arrested by the secret police were Robert Stricker, Zionist leader and publisher, and Oskar Gruenbaum.

While Jews continued to besiege consulates for visas, it was apparent that the authorities here were under orders to make Jewish emigration practically impossible. One official at the police passport office declared he would not grant visas except to “Aryans.” Previously a number of Jews employed by foreign concerns had been permitted to leave the country.

Vandals reappeared in the city’s streets last night, painting huge swastikas, The word “Jude” and caricatures of Jews on the windows of Jewish shops. A sign on the Schiff School was torn down but the building was not entered. A swastika was cut into the stone front of the Margereten Synagogue.

Following an attack by the Austrian union for the Protection of Animals, all kosher slaughterers were driven from Vienna abattoirs, leaving Jews without kosher meat unless brought in from the provinces.

The large stocking firm of Bernhard Schoen was taken over by the Nazi Employes Association. Gerstroff’s, Vienna’s largest department store has been “Aryanized,” all of its Jewish employes being discharged. The same procedure has been followed at the Anker Brotfabrik, the city’s largest bakery concern, which employs 1,000.

Apparently aiming at closer regulation of the “Aryanization” process, Nazi Commissar for Austria, Joseph Buerckel, announced today that only officials authorized by him were permitted to alter the status quo of the country’s “private economy.” Numerous changes already made, he asserted, will be reviewed before a final decision is reached.

Announcement was made of the resignations of two high officials of the Austrian Credit Institute and the Vienna Bank Association. They are Alexander wiener, vice president of the board of directors and Dr. Franz Rottenburg, member of the executive board.

The Vienna edition of the Voelkischer Beobachter, chief Nazi organ published in Berlin, carries a full page attack against what it terms Jewish-dominated art and the theatre. The Beobachter declares that henceforth, the Vienna theatre will be “Aryanized” thoroughly to permit theatergoers to see and hear productions created in the true German spirit.

An important step in this direction was taken with “Aryanization” of the Kumstelle Cultural league, whose members Get theatre tickets at reduced prices. All Jewish members of the League have been ousted.

The apparent haste with which the Nazis are working to eliminate or proscribe Jewish participation in Austrian economic life has left them no time to cover the cultural field with equal thoroughness. Thus, the Josefstadt Theatre, formerly Max Reinhardt’s, last night gave the premiere of a new play by Henri Bernstein, French Jewish playwright, and the National Theatre has announced the forthcoming performance of a Moliere play translated by Ludwig Fulder, famous German-Jewish writer. The Bernstein play was given a favorable review in the Wiener Journal, which points out that the premiere marked the first production in the Josefstadt Theatre in which only “Aryan” actors Appeared.