Suchergebnisse

An introduction to a forum, "World War II Crimes against Jews in Austria and Their Prosecution in Austrian Courts after the War," notes that the three contributions go beyond discussing war crimes committed by Austrians to look at the difficult transition to peace & reestablishment of the rule of law. They emphasize that the expropriation of Jewish property through "Aryanization," & the forced emigration of Jews, encouraged anti-Jewish policies in Austria, & contributed significantly to the Final Solution. It is noted that "Aryanization" was a uniquely Austrian contribution to radical Nazi policies that moved from "wild Aryanizations" to "legal Aryanizations" & the "ghettoization" of Jews in Vienna. The literature on the persecution of Jews in Austria is reviewed, & attention is called to postwar court records recently revealed as a valuable source of research on Austrian perpetrators. The information has encouraged a new generation of scholarly inquiry into Austria's involvement in Nazi cruelties. J. Lindroth

Describes the crimes committed against Hungarian Jews forced to work as laborers in Austria from the summer of 1945 until the end of WWII & subsequent trials of the Austrian perpetrators. It is contended that most defendants either pleaded not guilty or, when evidence against them was overwhelming, argued that they were required to follow orders. Trials conducted in the Austrian people's courts & the British courts are examined, maintaining they are an excellent source of information regarding the fate of the Hungarian Jewish slave laborers in Austria. A comparison of Austrian & Anglo-American criminal & procedural law, & their applications, shows that numerous Austrian perpetrators received severe sentences during the first years following the end of the war; however, verdicts & sentences in both courts became more lenient with the passage of time. Special attention is given to scandalous acquittals by grand juries during the 1960s. It is contended that the trials reflect the increasing repression of the war crimes of Austrian Nazi perpetrators in postwar Austria. J. Lindroth