The Austrian government moved a step further today in its declared purpose of segregating Jewish pupils in special schools, when the children of Jews who were converted to Christianity were ordered to register in the special ghetto schols for Jews. Thus the Austrian government emulates the Nazi regime which classes as Jews all those who have any Jewish blood in them within the last three generations.
A number of central Jewish organizations in various countries, alarmed at the reports of the new ghetto schools, telegraphed the Austrian government to ask whether such a law had been issued and for details of the law, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned.
The full text of the law, which was passed at a secret session of the Austrian cabinet on July 4, was made public today. All the Austrian newspapers carried the decree in full.
Protests of Jewish organizations which although not officially informed of the law, discussed current rumors on the subject with Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, proved unavailing. Jewish leaders left the Chancellor with the impression that the whole matter would be dropped.
The coalition government now ruling Austria has been consistently anti-Jewish. The Christian Socialist party, leading member in the coalition has insisted all along on numerus clausus against the Jews in the schools and professions, separate schools for Jews and the elimination of the Jews from public and professional life in Austria.
In recent months hundreds of Jewish doctors, nurses and bank employees have been summarily dismissed and replaced by non-Jews.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.