1945 Austrian Repatriation Committee in Germany
Austrian first diplomatic representation in Berlin
Austria was under German occupation from March 1938 to April 1945.
The German take-over of the small country is termed as the Anschluss, and once under Nazi control, the Jews suffered the worst vile anti-Semitism since Hitler came to power 5 years earlier: Even in Germany itself the local Jewish population did not suffer such hardships or violent treatment in such a concentrated manner: What was implemented in Germany gradually over a period of years was enforced suddenly, with brute violent force all at once. What was a peaceful and calm joint coexistence of life came to a sudden end and a rude awakening days after the takeover.
Nazi rule lasted for a period of 7 years and was deemed as one of Nazi Germany’s first victims of aggression in 1943 at the Moscow Declaration. The Soviet forces, the 3rd Ukrainian Front, crossed the old Austrian borders on March 29th 1945 and then came the Vienna Offensive which lasted from April 2nd to the 13th. During those 10 days the city was under siege until its full capture (the 6th SS Panzer Army lead by Sepp Dietrich was tasked with trying to halt the Soviet advance and was launched in Hungary, and this offensive, seen as Germany’s last in the war was called Operation Spring Awakening, and it took place between March 6th to the 16th). By April 15th the Soviet troops already began pushing deeper into the country.
After the war, like Germany, Austria was also divided into four occupational zones: American, British, French & Soviet with Vienna, as Berlin was, being divided as well and controlled by the Allied Control Council (in a previous article I added images of a passport used by a member serving in the Allied control of the country). The Austrian allied “occupation” lasted from 1945 to 1955.
The document in this article is actually the first attempt of an allied approved Austrian independence presence in post-war Europe, and in a very interesting location indeed: formerly the heart of Hitler’s “A Thousand Year Old Reich” – Berlin.
This can be seen, then, as a “consular” issued identity document for an Austrian citizen living in the capital, and then fully occupied by allied forces. The issuing body was not the Austrian Embassy or Consulate, this was still not permitted or not decided yet, the little liberated country was still under occupation of the 4 powers and her military and foreign policies were NOT under her full control. The title of this “diplomatic mission” was the “Austrian Repatriation Committee” in Germany, Berlin. Similar organizations were erected in other countries in Europe and the other liberated countries opened the same type, or resembling, committees in Germany and European countries as well, we can therefore locate the Russian, Polish or Czech repatriation committees in liberated Germany and Europe after May of 1945, and as the case with Austria, these all would either disappear as the occupation continued or as the diplomatic situation of each country was settled, either disappearing or turning into a mission/legation followed by consulate or embassy (the fist Austrian missions were actually called “Bureau”, changing into a “Legation” in 1946). The Committee here was headed by Wilhelm Bochure in Berlin.
His colleague, for example, in Czechoslovakia, was Vollgruber, who was very instrumental in organizing repatriation transports to Vienna (how these transports were arranged, under what system or criteria is another subject on its own). The latter was also successful, for example, to persuade the authorities in that country NOT to treat the Austrian as Germans and have them treated as victims and liberated people who were under Nazi oppression and occupation: 1945 would find improved conditions for the Austrians living Prague and through the country, receiving better food rations and being except from wearing a German identification tag on their cloths (this would change as the communists began to lose their influence in the November elections back at home).
ID or Certificate of Austrian Citizenship number 777 was issued to Franz Eibel on January 11th 1946 at Berlin. It has 2 distinct issuing signatures at the bottom, but until today, could not be identified. For me it is a welcome addition to ones collection since it depicts a very early example of post-war liberated Austrian material, which is rather scarce today and not easily located.
Enjoy the images!
Thank you for reading “Our Passports”.
