Austria Faces Its Nazi Past

It's long overdue, say critics. Earlier this week, the Austrian Historical Commission, established for the documentation of the extent of Austrian complicity in Nazi crimes, delivered its final report. The commission is already making waves with its conclusions -- with the body's own president raising the possibility that victims may now have a stronger case for seeking further compensation, no doubt armed by new findings.

Commission President Clemens Jabloner described the government's restitution efforts as half-hearted, and his report does not mince words. It characterizes restitution efforts as being “without oversight, without responsibility and complicated by numerous laws and ordinances that reflect the complicated interests of the political parties, business groups, victims' organizations and the allies.”

What took so long?

Dredging up the past proved no easy task in a country that has long maintained that it was also a victim of Nazi aggression. A massive undertaking, it took more than 160 researchers to complete the report.

The Austrian Historical Commission was formed in 1998 – 50 years after the Nazi army marched into Austria. However, it was only under strong pressure from the Jewish community that it was established, a step that reminded critics of a similar development many years before: After World War II, the Austrian government pursued a policy of “natural restitution,” returning only what physically remained and could be tracked down, such as apartments that were confiscated under Nazi rule. They didn’t switch to an active policy of economic restitution until 1955, and only then under strong pressure from the Allies.

Restitution has been held up by the Austrians’ difficulty in coming to terms with their past. After the end of World War II, many Austrians cultivated a national myth, which still persists: They were also victims of Nazi aggression.

And though the Austrian government has offered close to $800 million in restitution payments to settle claims relating to forced labor, expropriation of businesses and theft of art and other cultural properties, restitution efforts have often found little political support. The country's most recent initiative was a $215 million settlement between Austria, Austrian companies and Jewish groups representing Holocaust survivors and victims' families in 2001.

“Restitution and compensation were – from the start -- never viewed as a national duty, due to the comfortable argument provided by the lawful and politically calculating victim theory,” Jabloner said.

The painful truth

The report, released on Monday, solidifies what had long been suspected - that many Austrians participated in Nazi crimes. As part of the so-called Arianization Law, everything belonging to Jews – shops, cars, land, musical instruments – was expropriated. In Vienna alone, 60,000 apartments were confiscated. The Euthanasia program ordered the deaths of thousands of handicapped people, and their belongings were often claimed by the doctors who oversaw their death. “They were robbed -- their valuables became a resource for the doctors -- this is a particularly grisly tale” Jabloner said.

Of the 200,000 Jews living in Vienna before 1938, only 1,000 survived. What became of their belongings has hardly been addressed, and only now -- with the publication of this report -- can Austria and victims begin the careful work of determining a fair deal.

According to Jabloner, the new findings may help victims to successfully seek further compensation. But he also has strong words of warning for those hoping to close this chapter in history -- vigilance is needed, he says.

"We all know the prejudices that persist; how widespread the belief is that the Jews didn’t have to pay any taxes after 1945, that there were only rich Jews in Austria prior to 1938,” Jabloner said. “Even today, many are still influenced by the national socialists’ propaganda.”