Author Description

Traces the destruction of Jewish life in the rural district of St. Pölten, Austria, during World War II. In 1938 there were more than 500 persons who were considered Jews according to the Nuremberg Laws. Immediately after the Anschluss, Nazi officials and some of the local population unleashed terror against the Jews. In the small towns and villages, acquaintances, neighbors, and clients were among the perpetrators. The properties of the Jews were Aryanized and the owners were expelled or murdered. One-third of the Jewish population of the district perished in concentration camps, while two-thirds managed to escape in time. Pp. 125-153 relate the fate of those deported to the East (mainly ghettos and camps in Poland). Pp. 167-340 present reports on the fate of Jews in eight villages in the district.