Dear Readers,

With this issue of Jewish News from Austria, we are happy to provide you with a broad selection of articles which have appeared in the Austrian media in the course of the last five months.

Last month the Jewish Community Vienna held its elections, resulting in the re-election of current IKG President, Ariel Muzicant, and his "Atid" party.  We bring articles on the elections and other news related to the Jewish Community Vienna. Other topics include recent cultural events, restitution-related questions and Federal Chancellor Gusenbauer's visit to Israel in September.

With my best wishes for a prosperous New Year,

Yours sincerely,


Wolfgang Renezeder
Director of the Press & Information Service
Embassy of Austria




1.    Recent Events and Cultural News
•    Muzicant Wins the Elections Without a New Opposition (Die Presse 12/10/2007)
•    Keyword: Jewish Community Vienna (Austrian Press Agency (APA) 11/19/2007)
•    “Jewish Community to Double in Size” (Die Presse 11/06/2007)
•    Foundation Stone Is Laid for the IKG’S Maimonides Center (Austrian Press Agency 11/05/07)
•    “Linz09” to Include an International Conference in Castle Hartheim (Austrian Press Agency 11/30/2007)
•    New Commemorative Plaque at Mauthausen’s Railway Station In Remembrance of NS Victims (Austrian Press Agency 11/20/2007)
•    “Simon, Darling, Take Good Care of Yourself” (Profil 08/06/2007)
•    Swedish Queen Silvia Opens an Exhibition On Josef Frank (Austrian Press Agency 11/22/2007)
•    Between Hammer and Anvil (Profil 10/22/2007)
•    Witnesses Against Forgetting (Der Standard 8/11/2007)
•    An Impressive Opening of the Korngold Exhibition (APA 11/28/2007)

2.    Awards/Publications
•    Brandsteidl Confers the Fred Schneider Award (Austrian Press Agency 8/31/2007)
•    Presentation of a New Book “1938: Address Servitengasse” (OTS 12/04/2007)

3.    Restitution
•    City of Krems Restituted Two Paintings (Austrian Press Agency 10/10/2007)
•    Gold and Silver (Profil 9/03/2007)

4.    Austrian – Israeli Relations
•    Chancellor Gusenbaur Paid Visit to Israel and Palestinian Regions (Austrian Federal Chancellery 09/17/2007)
•    Gusenbauer Honored by Israeli Private University (Austrian Press Agency 09/07/2007)
•    Israel and Upper Austria plan culture and science transfer (Austrian Federal Chancellery 12/03/2007)

Swedish Queen Silvia Opens an Exhibition

Vienna – Queen Silvia of Sweden and the wife of Austrian Federal President, Margit Fischer, opened Wednesday the exhibition, “Josef Frank - Architect and Outsider,” in the presence of Vienna’s Regional Parliamentary President Johann Hatzl, Deputy Mayor Renate Brauner, President of the Vienna Jewish Community Ariel Muzicant, Vienna Holding Director Peter Hanke and numerous other guests of honor at the Museum Judenplatz.

Presentation of a New Book: “1938: Address Servitengasse“


Vienna –A book entitled, “1938: Address Servitengasse (A Neighborhood in Search of Traces)” was introduced during a presentation given at the Sigmund Freud Museum located in the Berggasse 19 in Vienna. Head of the 9th district, Martina Malyar, was present at the book presentation. The publication focuses on efforts made by a citizen initiative which is involved with the fate of expelled Jewish residents once having lived in the Servitengasse and wants to keep the memory of the victims of National Socialism alive. The event is open to the public at no charge.

Gold and Silver


Hundreds, thousands stood in a long line, just as they did in front of foreign embassies waiting for visas to enter countries taking in refugees. Much like the harassment they witnessed standing before the “Central Office for Jewish Emigration” established by Adolf Eichmann when waiting to leave the country, Austrian Jews queued up before the Dorotheum in Vienna on an indiscriminately-set date in March 1939: