Exhibition:
We had a really Jewish Life
This exhibition shows the life and destruction of the Jewish community St. Pölten by photos, memories and documents.
The Jewish Religious Community (“Israelitische Kultusgemeinde”) of St. Pölten was founded in 1863 and had approximately 800 members due to its large catchment area. In 1859 and in 1906, a cemetery was laid out and in 1912, the synagogue – today’s exhibition site – was officially opened. In 1938, 400 Jewish people lived in this city, today there are only three. These succinct numbers illustrate the heyday and the destruction of an active community.
Memories, documents and photos that had more often than not survived the war purely coincidentally show the life of St. Pölten’s Jewish Community: religious practice, everyday life, the Community’s activities, especially of the Zionistic youth, pastimes and anti-Semitism. After the Anschluss in March 1938, the NS-regime systematically withdrew St. Pölten’s Jews’ basic resources as it had done in the rest of Austria. The exhibition shows the anti-Jewish measures and gives evidence of individuals’ roads into exile. Most of the less affluent were not able take flight – they were moved to Vienna then deported to concentration camps and finally murdered. One aspect of the exhibition is dedicated to the few concentration camp survivors, on those who had been hidden by non-Jewish rescuers and on partners of so-called “protected mixed marriages”. Those who had emigrated in time witnessed social decline and a loss of home, language and close relatives.
310 members of the Jewish Religious Community of St. Pölten were murdered by the National Socialists – a commemoration installation with their names and photos has already been put up in the synagogue. The artistic results of an impressive school project which – in 2004 – concerned itself with the memories of these victims are also being shown. Homecoming, endeavours for the restitution of stolen property and difficulties with the official forgetfulness are further aspects of this exhibition. Photos as well as written and oral memories enable a personal approach of this continuously repressed part of history – especially for pupils.
Permanent Exhibition, Opening day 7.9.2008, Former Synagoge St. Pölten, Dr. Karl Renner-Promenade 22, 3100 St. Pölten
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