Let the apologies begin
Our hardy group of refugee descendants boards a bus for the
city tour of Vienna. This new/old city is part old world charm and midcentury
glass and chrome with the usual stuccoed apartment building well past their
prime. The Danube runs through the middle of the city… and it definitely is not
blue. Over the years of rechanneling for flood control, in some places it looks
like a brown lake and in others like a drainage ditch.
The city enjoys a well planned tram and bus service that has
seriously reduced automobile traffic . Even at rush hour, we seldom experience
bumper to bumper gridlock. A circular boulevard, The Ringstrassa, encompasses
the central business district. This street was built on top of the city wall
that once protected the city from invaders. Elegant carved stone buildings line
this street and are occupied by government agencies and private companies.
A fast 45 minute stroll through the summer palace of King
Franz Joseph (the Hapsburg monarch) convinced it is good to be the king. Even
in winter, the grounds are impressive and the royal dwelling is kept in its
original state for visitors.
On to the main event of the day… the official apology.
At City Hall, we are ushered into the
city council chamber where round tables and refreshments have been laid out.
Dr. Andreas Mailath-Pokorny, City Councilor for Culture and Science, welcomed
us and presented a heartfelt extemporaneous speech about the ugly history of
Jews in Austria during the 30’s and 40’s.
He explained that after the war ended in 1945 no one wanted
to admit the truth, so they repressed the sad facts of brutality, imprisonment
and murder of Austrian Jews. Only when the children of the WWII generation came
of age did the history begin to be discussed. While the easy answer was to
blame it on the Nazis, many regular Austrians were complicit as well. Austria
had a cultural bias against Jews long before Hitler came to power. The prejudicial practices were not the “final
solution” of Hitler and Himmler, but discrimination was a common element of
Austrian life. So when the Nazis rose up in Austria, their brand of anti-Jewish
behavior was not so far from the already established opinions of Austrians.
The good doctor not only gave his presentation, but spent
another hour speaking with each table of attendees and answering questions. His
demeanor was sincere and professional. He is also trying to get the country to
allow descendents of Austrians expelled or killed in the Holocaust to be able
to receive Austrian citizenship if they want it. So far, he is not successful.
The gentleman handled a difficult communication with aplomb
and left an impression of sincerity and regret. In two days, the Chancellor of
Austria meets us to have his say.
Tomorrow is November 9, the 78th anniversary of
Kristallnacht, the “Night of broken glass”. On that night, nineteen of the twenty
synagogues in Vienna were burned to the ground, Jewish businesses were
vandalized and any Jew caught on the street was beaten or jailed. This was
November 9, 1938. Susan’s mother’s family left Vienna in April 1939. The timing
was critically important. A few days later might have made a tragic difference.
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