Fight against antisemitism
Combating antisemitism – promoting and protecting Jewish life.
The fight against antisemitism is a central concern of the Austrian Federal Government. In light of the darkest chapter of Austrian history, the inexcusable atrocities and appalling crimes of the National Socialist Regime, Austria recognises and fully acknowledges its historical responsibility towards Jewish life. Antisemitism, in its many forms, has been on the rise in Austria, Europe and worldwide. Austria has been an important initiator and role model in the EU-wide fight against antisemitism and has been working closely together with like-minded EU Member States and the European Commission.
National Strategy against Antisemitism (NAS)
On 6 December 2018, under the Austrian EU Council Presidency, a Council declaration on combating antisemitism and protecting Jewish communities in Europe was adopted. It includes a reference to the non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism issued by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and a mandate for the EU Member States to adopt comprehensive national strategies against antisemitism. Austria was the first EU Member state to present such a strategy against antisemitism: it was developed with the involvement of responsible federal ministries, the Jewish Community of Vienna (IKG) and various civil society institutions.
The strategy relates to different areas such as education and training, research, security, justice, integration and civil society. It is comprised of 38 defined measures to prevent and combat all forms of antisemitism - including the long-term protection of the Austrian-Jewish cultural heritage and the establishment of a platform involving society as a whole.
The Federal Chancellery submits an annual report to the Austrian Parliament on the status of implementation of the NAS. The first implementation report of the NAS was presented in January 2022, the second in January 2023. So far, 28 out of 38 measures have been successfully implemented, 10 measures are currently being implemented or prepared. Additionally, further measures are about to be elaborated. In 2024, the final and comprehensive evaluation of the NAS will be conducted.
Publications available for download:
- National strategy against antisemitism (PDF, 2 MB)
- Implementation Report 2021 (PDF, 3 MB)
- Implementation Report 2022 (PDF, 3 MB)
Austrian-Jewish Cultural Heritage Act
On 24 February 2021, the Austrian Parliament unanimously passed the federal law Austrian-Jewish Cultural Heritage Act (ÖJKG). The ÖJKG contains an annual subsidy of 4 million euros to the Israelite Religious Society in Austria (IRG). The subsidy was raised from 4 to 7 million euros in 2023. The legally secured grant directly benefits the Jewish community, including the protection of Jewish institutions, the preservation of cultural heritage, the maintenance of Jewish communal life and interreligious dialogue.
Austrian-Jewish Cultural Heritage Act (ÖJKG) (in German)
Central coordination through the Federal Chancellery
In 2021, the Federal Chancellery established a directorate to coordinate the implementation of the NAS (Department IV/12 "Fostering Austrian-Jewish Cultural Heritage and Combating Antisemitism").
The Department IV/12 is responsible for a variety of tasks, including:
- Operational coordination of the implementation of the measures of the NAS
- Facilitation of the coordination between individual actors in the areas of commemoration, antisemitism awareness and prevention
- Promoting and strengthening Jewish cultural and congregational life
- Contact point of the Federal Chancellery to the Future Fund of the Republic of Austria, the National Fund and the Federal Network for the Prevention of Extremism and Deradicalization (BNED)
- Representing Austria at the international level, for instance in the European Commission Working Group on the Implementation of the EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life
- Supporting projects facilitating the implementation of the NAS
- Organisation of the European Conference on Antisemitism (ECA) and the National Forum against Antisemitism (NFA)
Other projects and initiatives (selection)
Shoah Wall of Names Memorial
On 9 November 2021, the Shoah Wall of Names Memorial, a milestone in Austria's commemorative culture, was inaugurated in Ostarrichipark in the 9th district of Vienna, owing to the initiative of Holocaust survivor Kurt Yakov Tutter. Within a very short time, the memorial has become a central place of encounter and remembrance of the almost 65.000 Austrian victims of the Shoah. Not only for survivors and their relatives, but also for all those who deliberately meet there or happen to pass by the Wall of Names.
European Conference on Antisemitism (ECA)
As part of the implementation of the EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life, Austria initiated the European Conference on Antisemitism (ECA) that already convened twice in Vienna (18/19 May 2022 and 17./18. April 2023). The ECA is a high-level-meeting of 14 EU Member States, bringing together Special Envoys and Coordinators as well as experts in the field of antisemitic hate crime data recording. The ECA aims to enhance national efforts and international cooperation, exchange best practices, address existing challenges, and harmonise methodologies for collecting and analysing data on antisemitic incidents.
- Commission presents first-ever EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life (Press release, European Commission)
- EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life (2021-2030)
Vienna Declaration on enhancing cooperation in fighting antisemitism and encouraging reporting of antisemitic incidents (Vienna Declaration)
At the first ECA on 18/19 May 2022, 8 Member States signed the Vienna Declaration: Austria, Germany, Estonia, Spain, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania and Slovakia. The Vienna Declaration represents the shared fight against antisemitism and the promotion of Jewish life in Europe. Since then, 6 additional Member States signed the Vienna Declaration: Italy, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Croatia and France.
Vienna Declaration (PDF, 2 MB)
National Forum against Antisemitism (NFA)
A goal of the NAS is the establishment of an advisory platform comprising society as a whole in order to effectively combat and prevent antisemitism. Therefore, the National Forum against Antisemitism was established, which already convened twice in Vienna (13 June 2022 and 16/17 October 2023). In this forum, the Austrian Federal Government, the federal states, municipalities, corporations, civil society institutions and NGOs, sports and youth organizations, the IRG, churches and religious communities as well as other institutions discuss current developments and propose possible solutions to prevailing issues. Furthermore, the NFA facilitates a mutual exchange about current challenges, topics and relevant initiatives.
Funding
The NAS also provides the substantive basis for funding projects that contribute to combating antisemitism and safeguarding Jewish life. The legal basis for this is the Federal Budget Act 2013 (BHG 2013), BGBl. I No. 139/2009, as amended, and the regulation of the Federal Minister of Finance on general framework guidelines for the granting of subsidies from federal funds (ARR 2014), BGBl. II 208/2014.
Funded projects must correspond to the objectives of the NAS and those of the Austrian-Jewish Cultural Heritage Act. A selection committee decides on the funding approvals based on the expert assessment of the Department IV/12, which also manages the funds. The General conditions for the granting of funding by the Federal Chancellery and the Guideline for the accounting of funding by the Federal Chancellery apply.
Project proposals can be sent to the Department IV/12 (oejka@bka.gv.at) by means of a (online) funding application: Funding Austrian-Jewish cultural heritage (in German)