Establishment Of The Central Office For Jewish Emigration In Vienna
Establishment Of The Central Office For Jewish Emigration In Vienna, August 1938.
Source: Y. Arad, Y. Gutman, Abraham Margaliot, eds., Documents on the Holocaust ( Yad Vashem 1981) p. 99-101.
The Reichskommissar for the Reunification of Austria with the German Reich Staff
Vienna I, August 20, 1938
To all offices of the Party and State in Austria Undesirable interruptions and delays have occurred in the emigration of Jews; in addition, the question of Jewish emigration has been dealt with inefficiently by certain offices.
To assist and expedite arrangements for the emigration of Jews from Austria a Central Office for Jewish Emigration has therefore been set up in Vienna IV, at Prinz Eugen Strasse 22. The Central Office will be responsible for dealing with the following matters, in co-operation with the Government Offices concerned: 1. The creation of opportunities for emigration through negotiations for entry permits with the competent German and other emigration organisations. 2. Obtaining the foreign currency required for emigration. 3. Establishment and supervision of professional re-training centres. 4. Co-operation with travel agencies and shipping companies to ensure the technical arrangements for emigration. 5. Supervision of Jewish political and other emigration associations with regard to their attitude concerning emigration. 6. The issuing of guidelines and continuous contacts with all offices connected with the emigration of Jews from Austria…
All Party offices and other authorities are instructed to pass on all applications for emigration to the Central Office for Jewish Emigration immediately and without taking action of their own for the time being, and to send all Jews anxious to emigrate to the above office. Jews who wish to emigrate are in future to apply only to the Central Office for Jewish Emigration. This office will control further procedures and, in particular, obtain the permits required for emigration from the competent office, and supervise the final emigration.
The Regulation applies, for the time being, to the Gau Vienna and Lower Danube. The procedures in other areas are regulated by the Central Office for Jewish Emigration in consultation with the local Gauleiters . A central office for Jewish Planning in conjunction with the Central Office for Jewish Emigration is definitely still under consideration.
I entrust the general direction of these Central Offices to the SD-Fuehrer of the SS Section Upper Danube and Inspector of the Security Police, SS Standartenfuehrer Governmental Director Dr. Stahlecker. He is herewith invested with the necessary powers to carry out his commission. In particular, he is entitled to order the transfer of officials of the Authorities concerned with emigration to the Central Office for Jewish Emigration.
