Everyday life and persecution of women and men of “half-Jewish” descent in Vienna, 1938-1945

This project focuses on the living conditions of women and men of “half-Jewish” descent during the time of the Nazi regime in Vienna, who were protected through a non-Jewish parent. The mere existence of these people and how to categorize them challenged the doctrine of purity of National Socialist race ideology. This habilitation project explores the experiences of “half-Jewish” women and men during the years of 1938-1945 in Vienna. Besides questions regarding identities, this project will also investigate aspects of agency, inclusion and exclusion, group solidarity and gender. 

This project focuses on the living conditions of women and men of “half-Jewish” descent during the time of the Nazi regime in Vienna, who were protected through a non-Jewish parent. The mere existence of these people and how to categorize them challenged the doctrine of purity of National Socialist race ideology. The fact that the regime ultimately had to revert to religious denomination criteria in order to secure assumptions of race ideology illustrates the absurdities of National Socialist ideology.
Among historians, analyzing National Socialist rule within a tangible local environment as well as the concept of agency in regard to contemporary protagonists have recently gained a renewed interest. This study intends to follow Saul Friedländer and his concept of an “integrated history”, where the persecuted are taken seriously as individuals and where their perspective is taken into account as much as the actions of the perpetrators.
This habilitation project explores the experiences of “half-Jewish” women and men during the years of 1938-1945 in Vienna. Besides questions regarding identities of people who were considered “in between”, this project will also investigate aspects of inclusion and exclusion, group solidarity and gender.

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Project Manager:
Michaela Raggam-Blesch

Funding:
Third-Party-Funding (APART-Projekt)

Duration:
2012/01/01 – 2015/06/30