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Hitler sent
his army into Austria on March 11, and the Anschluss-the
incorporation of Austria into the "Third German Reich"-was
proclaimed two days later. Most of the Austrian population accepted
the annexation willingly, if not enthusiastically. The annexation
was accompanied by protracted antisemitic eruptions and humiliations
of Jews by Austrian citizens under German patronage.
Immediately
after the annexation, the Gestapo embarked on a week of organized
looting of Jewish apartments, in which confiscated objets d’art
and valuables were hauled away to Berlin. Before the week was
out, Jews were dismissed from their positions in theaters, popular
cultural institutions, and public libraries; soon afterwards, they
were banned from universities and colleges. Synagogues were
desecrated. Jews were arrested and held in detention until they
signed away their property. |
