Background information on the biography collection “Austrians in National Socialism”

For a critical examination of National Socialism and its crimes, it is just as important to honor the memory of the victims as it is to take an analytical look at the perpetrators and other actors in the Nazi regime. 

Here we document biographies that show who enforced and maintained National Socialism in Austria and who continued to promote Nazi ideology after liberation in 1945. With our selection, we want to emphasize how broadly Nazi rule was anchored in society: not only through soldiers, police officers, judges, and doctors, but also through actors, artists, mountaineers, and writers. We also name little-known people who contributed to persecution and violence. These biographies are examples and have not been selected according to their fame or importance – some of these life stories are also part of our current main exhibition at the House of Austrian History in the Neue Hofburg on Vienna's Heldenplatz.

We also show examples of people who, despite their involvement in the Nazi regime, were able to continue working in their professional fields after 1945 and the end of Nazi rule—and we have deliberately included not only famous personalities. This also includes people who continued to benefit from their Nazi careers even after the end of Nazi rule, who shaped institutions with their anti-democratic attitudes, or who became role models. Especially at the local level and in personal contact, many former Nazis were able to exert a strong influence on young people, for example as teachers or educators.

The collection of biographies is to be continuously expanded. If you would like to add a biography or have another suggestion, please write to us at feedback@hdgoe.at. 

Historical background of the biographies

People who were involved in the National Socialist movement and Nazi rule came from a wide variety of social backgrounds and had different educational backgrounds and professions. Many biographies are marked by the period when the Dollfuß-Schuschnigg dictatorship banned the NSDAP, and committed National Socialists fled, in some cases to Nazi Germany. However, there were also people who served the Dollfuß-Schuschnigg dictatorship or even supported it, while at the same time sympathizing with the Nazi movement or even working for it. When the National Socialists seized power in March 1938, an internal conflict over offices and influence broke out, while a violent state was quickly established with the active cooperation of broad sections of society.

After the end of Nazi rule in 1945, former members of the National Socialist Party and its organizations had to register—more than half a million people in Austria. They were no longer allowed to have any influence in public life. They were excluded from many professions, from leadership positions, and also from the right to vote. Against the backdrop of the Cold War and in order not to exclude a large section of the population from democratic development, this soon changed: in 1948, all restrictions were lifted for 92% of them. This meant that even staunch Nazis could attain the highest offices. In contrast, there were no efforts or regulations in Austria to bring back people who had been persecuted and expelled by the Nazi regime. There were initial restitutions, but these were often half-hearted or carried out only under conditions. For some groups of victims, discrimination continued even after 1945, and they were not awarded compensation for the violence and injustice they had suffered. Further information and materials on the continuing influence of Nazi ideology can be found in our collection of topics on Nazi continuities.

Director of the House of Austrian History: Monika Sommer

Concept and Editing: Stefan Benedik, Franziska Winkler

Production: Andreea Dosa

English translation: Erika Doucette, Joanna White

Licensing: Tanja Jenni

Special thanks to: Marion Krammer, Oliver Rathkolb, Caroline Schenk, Peter Schwarz, Margarethe Szeless, Florian Wenninger