ABSTRACT

The Jews of Austria will be able to prove their noble sentiments directly to the entire people. The assessment of Austria’s role as the first victim of Nazi Germany was equally shared by the three founding parties of the Second Republic (OVP, SPO and KPO) and was ultimately successfully prevailed upon the occupation powers. The Oesterreichische Volkspartei (OVP) historical conceptualization regarding the period of Nazi domination was assembled before the beginning of the Second Republic from a conglomerate of set pieces from history, international law and the philosophy of history. In equating anti-Semitism with National Socialist persecution of Jews, the OVP succeeded, moreover, in evading a confrontation with its own genuinely anti-Semitic heritage. The OVP endeavored, particularly during election campaigns, to accentuate its image as the party of Austrian patriotism. As in the case of the OVP general secretary, OVP Chancellor Julius Raab emphasized his satisfaction with the positive behavior of the Austrian Jews after 1945.