"abgemeldet"

The forced relocation of St. Pölten Jews to the collective housing in Vienna 1938-1942
Sparkling Science Project (2015–2016)

The eviction and forced relocation to so-called collective housing at the place of residence and in Vienna are hardly mentioned in the self-proclamation of the Jews expelled from Lower Austria in 1938-1942. Neither the victims themselves nor the historians researching the Shoah attached great importance to this first expulsion; she was too overshadowed by the subsequent traumatic events. For the first time, the present project investigated administrative handling on the one hand and the impact on those affected on the other hand on the basis of previously unexplored archive material and biographical sources.

In the first subproject two 7th classes of two St. Pölten grammar schools (about 50 students) researched the family history and social situation of the Jews of their hometown before 1938 and their life reality in the collective housing. Based on their own reflection on what living and being at home means, the young people discussed the information on forced relocation in the Jewish testimonials. Wolfgang Gasser documented her process of knowledge. In the second subproject, Philipp Mettauer researched the organization and implementation of the forced resettlement by the Nazi authorities as well as the number, location, size and equipment of the collective housing in Vienna as well as the living realities and room for maneuver of their residents. In order to reconstruct the living conditions and social networks of those relocated from St. Pölten, he drew on the research results of the students. In addition, some young people were able to voluntarily organize a follow-up meeting of St. Pölten Jews.

Project Leader: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Staff: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Mag. Iris Palenik

Co-operation:
BG / BRG St. Pölten Josefstraße
BRG / BORG St. Pölten, Schulring
National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism
Lower Austrian State Archives (NÖLA)

This project has a Top Citizen Science expansion project.

"Our Displaced Neighbors: Jews in Lower Austria's Central Region - Research and Remembrance Culture", a project of the Institute for Jewish History in Austria, will invite citizens of Lower Austria to search for memories such as objects, photos, documents and letters in their archives. The goal is to learn more about the Christian-Jewish coexistence, about aspects such as friendship, school, work and everyday life before, during and after the war. Further information