Abstract
The first ethnic Germans to arrive in Austria, some as early as 1940 a were the so-called Umsiedler who were uprooted from the Bessarabian and Bukovina regions under Hitler’s Heim ins Reich program.b
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At this time, however, they did not possess refugee status. b See Historical, pp. 27 & 32.
Austrian measures applying to this group have been different in many respects from those applying to the ethnic German refugees from the East.
See Migration Tables XII & XIII, pp. 57 and 58.
July 1946 is the earliest date for reliable data as supplied by the Austrian Ministry of Interior.
“Hard core” cases are those in need of constant welfare aid.
Gilbert Jäger estimates the natural increase of the ethnic Germans to be in the vicinity of 8–10 per 1000. Jäger, G., The Financial Aspects of Integration of the Refugees in the Austrian Economy, (HCR/RS/3), February 29, 1952, p. 6.
Neuland, Salzburg, May 30, 1953. “In 1951, 88 ethnic Germans returned to Yugoslavia.”
Just, A., op.cit., p. 5.
See, Helmer, O., Budgetrede des Herrn Bundesministers für Inneres, Vienna, May 15, 1946.
See pages 41 and 42, on location of naturalized ethnic Germans and largest groups naturalized.
Office of the U.S. High Commissioner in Austria: High Commissioner’s Report for First Quarter, Displaced Persons Division, Vienna 1951. “During the first quarter of 1951 USCOA began moving DPs out of Vienna in considerable numbers. On March 14, 17 persons listed on a nominal roll left Vienna by USCOA bus for Tulln airport, the airport maintained by the U.S. Air Force, 18 miles northwest of the capital city. At Tulln they were loaded into Air Force transports flown to Salzburg in the U.S. Zone and from there entrained for Bremerhaven, the German port of embarkation. By March 31, there had been three such evacuations. Plans are being prepared to make four such flights each week.’”
Vienna’s total population dropped from 1,929,976 in 1939 to 1,323,758 in July 1945 and has since 1948 stabilized itself to somewhat over 1.7 millions. The general decentralization away from Vienna has been considered a healthy development. (USCOA: op.cit., pp. 93, 95). It is believed that a modest number of ethnic Germans initially in Vienna migrated to the Western Provinces.
Österreiches Statistisches Zentralamt: Statistisches Handbuch für die Republic Österreich, Vienna, (I, II, III Jahrgang), 1950, 1951, 1952, pp. 40, 45 and 48 respectively.
Although the above statistical sources have listed those who have obtained citizenship directly, relative to country of origin, it may be estimated that another 70% of the figure given are those who obtained naturalization as a result of the application of parents or spouse. (See Legal, page 98). The global figures as published in the Austrian refugee statistical data include both direct and indirect naturalization. See: Austrian Ministry of Interior, Gesamtaufstellung für der in Österreich befindlichen DPs und Flüchtlinge, Vienna.
Österreichisches Statististisches Zentralamt, Statistisches Handbuch für die Republik Österreich, Vienna, (I, II, III Jahrgang) 1950, 1951, 1952, pp. 40, 45 and 48 respectively.
See Table V, p. 43. These only show the non-naturalized Sudeten group, but information obtained through personal interview indicates that a very large percentage of the total ethnic Germans already naturalized and living in Lower Austria and Vienna area are Sudeten Germans.
This appears to be the case especially after the passage of the various “equalization laws” (Gleichstellungsgesetze) for the non-naturalized ethnic Germans which placed this group on almost the same legal footing as those who have obtained citizenship with regard to the economic sector. See Legal, pp. 79 to 85.
Outright selection of those groups considered to be especially useful by the Austrian Government was carried out particularly during the early post-war period. See Legal, footnote b, p. 70, and Agrarian, footnote b, p. 106.
The indigenous natural increase, one of the lowest in Europe, has been between 3–5 per 1000, over the past several years. Statistisches Handbuch für die Republik Österreich, Österreichisches Statistisches Zentralamt, Vienna, 1952, pp. 25, 285.
Österreiches Statistisches Zentralamt, Österreichs Bevölkerung in Bild und Zahl, Vienna, p. 39. It is interesting to note that even in 1934, Austria harbored a total of 292,219 aliens and in 1951 some 322,598.
Today approximately 25,000 non-German-speaking refugees have acquired Austrian citizenship out of a total of approximately 60,000 still living in Austria. (See Graph I, p. 53).
It has been stated that at least 20,000 Sudeten Germans had been living in Austria prior to 1939 but only received their citizenship after the war. This it is said, accounts in part for the high naturalization rate of the Sudeten Germans. See: Strachotinsky, H., “Das Wahre Zahlenbild der Volksdeutschen,” Berichte und Informationen, Salzburg, December 1951, N. 286, p. 7.
Österreichisches Statistisches Zentralamt, Statistisches Handbuch für die Republik Österreich, Vienna, (I, II, III Jahrgang), 1950, 1951, 1952, pp. 40, 45 and 48 respectively. These sources indicate the naturalization rates of people working in the different sectors of the Austrian economy.
Among these are principally the Southern Moravian ethnic group, the Hungarian ethnic Germans from adjacent the Burgenland frontier, the Bratislavian group of the Carpathian Germans, the Slovenian ethnic group and the Gottschee Germans.
Austrian Ministry of the Interior, Dept. 12 U.
Examination of the 1948 Occupation Chart (page 126), which has an ethnic German “Stateless” category, indicates that a good deal of them maybe Sudeten Germans. Also the rather high rate of naturalization of this group would tend to confirm this probability.
The question has arisen since the passage of the U.S. “Refugee Relief Act of 1953” (July 1953) whether it is possible for formerly Stateless people who are now Austrian citizens to immigrate to the United States under the immigration quota permitted by the bill. See: Neuland, “Füssangeln des US-Hilfsgesetzes; Können Heimatvertriebene, die inzwischen eine Staatsbürgerschaft erworben haben, auswandern?”, Salzburg, November 1, 1953, p. 1.
See Migration Table XII, page 57.
Office of the U.S. High Commissioner for Austria, Orientation Talk-DP Division; Colonel Brotherton, Vienna.
See Table XIV, p. 61.
See Section 12, Displaced Persons Act, Public Law 774, 80th Congress, June 25, 1948, as amended June 16, 1950.
Brazil recently accepted a settlement scheme sponsored by the Swiss Aid to Europe, whereby 2,500 Danube Swabian refugees from Austria were resettled as a colony (Entre Rios) in the Parana region near Guarapauva. See: Swiss Aid to Europe Delegation, Schlussbericht der delegation Linz der Schweizer Europahilfe über ihre Tätigkeit für die Auswanderungs-Aktion nach Brasilien, (February 1951-March 1952), Zurich, April 30, 1952.
The large majority of ethnic Germans emigrating from Austria were originally from Yugoslavia, Romania and Hungary as indicated on Table XII, p. 57. Those emigrating have been in the great majority Danube Swabians.
Office of the U.S. High Commissioner for Austria, Orientation Talk-DP Division, Colonel Brotherton, Vienna.
See Migration Tables XII & XIII, pp. 57 and 58.
United Nations Economic and Social Council, Report of the International Refugee Organization, (E/2211-general), April 23, 1952. Geneva, cites an exception as follows: “…at the request of the United States Government, the Organization (IRO) undertook the processing and transport of persons of German ethnic origin whose immigration into the United States was authorized by the Displaced Persons Act. During the last six months of 1951 the Organization shipped 13,878 persons under this scheme.” p. 21.
U.N. Economic and Social Council, op.cit., pp. 21, 22.
Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, “A Summary of its Activities and Achievements,” ICEM/p & 1/8HQ275, Geneva, September 30, 1953.
Membership of the ICEM includes 24 nations: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
ICEM, Statistical Report of the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, Summary of operations, February 1-December 31, 1952, and Report for the Quarter October/December 1954. Also Statistical Report for the Semester January 1/June 30’ 1953, Geneva.
ICEM, Voluntary Agencies Activities in Assisting the Migration Committee, (Brief), Geneva, October 8, 1953.
The revolving fund program is a scheme whereby the immigrant promises to repay his transportation costs within a specified period after establishing himself in the receiving country. Money going into the revolving fund is used for financing the migration expenses of other immigrants. See: ICEM, Voluntary Agencies Activities in Assisting the Migration Committee (Brief), Geneva, October 8, 1953.
See Table XII, p. 57, indicating the emigration to Germany of Romanian ethnic Germans from Austria. These are in the majority Transylvanian Saxons.
The Refugee Relief Bill as passed in July 1953, by the 83rd Congress, U.S.A., would permit the entry of 55,000 ethnic German refugees from Austria and Germany (together) to enter the U.S. up to December 31, 1956. See: Refugee Relief Bill of 1953, 83rd Congress, 1st Session HR Report, No. 1069.
Some quarters, both in Europe and the United States, are extremely gloomy concerning the execution of the U.S. Refugee Relief Act (July 1953). It has been reported that due to formidable guaranties and extensive investigation requirements, thus far (February 1954), only four persons have entered the United States under the provisions of this Bill. See: “Immigration Hoax,” New York Herald Tribune, European Edition, Paris, February 18, 1954, p. 4. It appears, however, somewhat early to predict the final effect which this Act may have upon refugee emigration from Austria. The recruitment of investigating staff to carry out the stringent requirements of the new law have introduced a time lag. In addition, certain requirements may be altered to facilitate immigration before expiration of the Act. See: “Refugees Gain Hope of U.S. Entry,” Christian Science Monitor, Boston, Mass., October 26, 1954, p. 1.
During the last year, selection missions from Canada and Brazil have visited Austria for the purpose of locating suitable applicants for immigration to those countries.
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© 1955 Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands
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Radspieler, T. (1955). Statistical and Demographic Aspects. In: The Ethnic German Refugee in Austria 1945 to 1954. Studies in Social Life, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7910-2_3
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