Schnitzler Buried with Simple Rites in Vienna Jewish Cemetery: Coffin of Unplaned Boards: Stipulated

Arthur Schnitlzer was buried to-day in the Jewish cemetery here, with very simple rites. The ordinary Jewish burial service was used, including the reciting of the Kadish, but it was by his own wish, expressed in his will, kept as brief and simple as possible. The coffin was of the simplest, just unplaned boards nailed together.

In his will, Schnitzler particularly asked that there should be no fuss made about his funeral, that no notifications of his death should be sent out, that there should be no wreaths, and that the funeral should be the cheapest obtainable, the money saved in this way to be distributed among the Vienna hospitals. He also asked that there should be no speeches at the funeral.

Both the Vienna City Council and the Vienna Jewish Community offered graves of honour for Schnitzler’s interment, the family accepting the offer of the Jewish Community. Although no notifications of his death were sent out by the family, out of respect for his wishes, the news of his death published on the front pages of all the Vienna papers, together with the details of the funeral, nevertheless, brought huge crowds to the cemetery, including hundreds of famous people, writers, artists, and doctors, the intellectual elite of Vienna. The Government and the City Council were officially represented, and all the members of the Presidium of the Jewish Community were present.

Thousands of telegrams of condolence have arrived at the house from all parts of the world, including messages from the Societies of Authors in England, America, and France, from the International Pen Club, of which he was an honorary member, and from Mr. Shalom Ash, the famous Yiddish novelist, in the name of the Yiddish Pen Club.

The famous Burg Theatre here, where many of Schnitzler’s plays were produced, is flying its flag at half-mast in sign of mourning.

Among Schnitzler’s papers found after his death there is a diary on Jewish questions, and an unfinished play and novel.

The entire press here, including the Catholic papers, is to-day giving a great deal of space to discussing Schnitzler’s place in literature, which they all rank very high. The famous Jewish author, Stephan Zweig, publishes an article in which he complains that Austria’s greatest author has been allowed to go to his grave without any sign of recognition by the State, either under the monarchy or under the Republic.

Of late years, it is disclosed, Schnitzler’s earnings had greatly diminished, because most of the Vienna booksellers were afraid to display his books in their shop windows lest they should be smashed by the antisemites.