1938: Exile
The search for asylum and forced relocation
National Socialism primarily forced people of Jewish origin to escape. However, other people were also driven out, such as opponents of the Nazi regime. Thus began the search for asylum and forced relocation, a phase that is also described with the term “exile”. The length of time that people would describe their existence as being in “exile” depended on whether countries of asylum excluded or included these people, as well as their age, education, profession, and individual background. The majority of exiles were able to adapt, take on a new citizenship, and learn a new language. Special cases include Palestine with the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 or otherwise Shanghai, where most exiles had to be ready to seek a new place of refuge again given the precarious living conditions and the Communist seizure of power after the end of the war.
Exile organisations were essential contact points. The activities of displaced creative artists helped people to process their experiences. Exile newspapers such as the “Austro-American Tribune” (1942–48) und “Der Aufbau” (1934–2004 in New York, since 2005 in Zurich) were especially important for the exchange of ideas.
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