Österreichische Freiheitsfront
Encyclopedia
The Österreichische Freiheitsfront (Austrian Freedom Front) was an antifascist organization created by Austria
n and German
communist refugees in Brussels
during the Second World War occupation of Belgium
by Nazi Germany
. It took an active part in the Belgian Resistance
.
, a resistance network with a strong communist component, the main mission of the Österreichische Freiheitsfront was publishing and spreading leaflets in German. Among these was the periodical Die Wahrheit (The Truth), which contained messages from the British and Free Polish
radios, inciting the German soldiers to desert
.
A member of the organization, Régine Krochmal, explained that the approaching technique was to ask a soldier for time in German, then begin to chat with him. If he was found open to criticism of the Nazi régime, an appointment was fixed in order to give him leaflets to spread. Such an act could lead to the death penalty for those caught.
According to another survivor, Jakob Zanger, the weekly circulation of Die Wahrheit, Österreichische Freiheitsfront, and from 1943 Freies Österreich surpassed 12,000, of which 9,000 were distributed outside Brussels. Copies were left in airport
s, movie theater
s and other places frequented by German soldiers, to ensure a maximal circulation. The newspaper of the Austrian Communist Party, Rote Fahne (Red Flag), was clandestinely printed in Belgium on cigarette paper and transported to Austria.
Among the members of the Österreichische Freiheitsfront was Jean Améry (pseudonym of Hans Mayer, 1912–1978), an Austrian Catholic
writer of Jewish origin. He was arrested in 1943 and deported to Auschwitz-Monowitz.
Toward the end of 1943 or beginning of 1944, a company of Austrian partisans was created, under the aegis of which Erich Ungar, a teacher and physical chemist, made bombs and explosives. Arms and munitions were obtained by attacking German soldiers, since, according to Zanger, the British only armed "white" partisans, who in practice hardly fought at all, and not "red" (communist) partisans.
In 1944, the Österreichische Freiheitsfront counted 750 members, and the president of the executive committee was Karl Przibram (b. 21 December 1878, Vienna, d. 10 August 1973, Vienna), who had arrived in Belgium with his wife at the beginning of 1939 with the intention of emigrating to England but was prevented by the German invasion of 1940. After the liberation, Przibram's prestige was so great that he performed the duties of chargé d'affaires for Austrian citizens in anticipation of reestablishment of consular and diplomatic authorities..
Irma Schwager, an Austrian antifascist militant from France, writes that she returned to Belgium after the liberation of Paris to help the Austrian antifascist raise the Österreichische Freiheitsfront, whose leadership derived from diverse affiliations: social democrats
, communists, monarchists and apolitical
s.
After the liberation of Belgium, some of the Austrian resistance fighters joined their comrades who had fought in France and who had fled to Switzerland
to form a battalion of Austrian partisans in Yugoslavia
under the leadership of Max Bair. Four other battalions of partisans were subsequently formed, recruited from among prisoners of war
and the Strafdivision 999 under the leadership of Fürnberg and Honner.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
communist refugees in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
during the Second World War occupation of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. It took an active part in the Belgian Resistance
Belgian resistance
Belgian resistance during World War II to the occupation of Belgium by Nazi Germany took different forms. "The Belgian Resistance" was the common name for the Netwerk van de weerstand - Réseau de Résistance or Resistance Network , a group of partisans fighting the Nazis...
.
History
Allied to the Front de l'IndépendanceFront de l'Indépendance
The Front de l'indépendance was a Belgian resistance movement during World War II, founded in March 1941 by Dr. Albert Marteaux of the Communist Party of Belgium, Father André Roland, and Fernand Demany, another communist...
, a resistance network with a strong communist component, the main mission of the Österreichische Freiheitsfront was publishing and spreading leaflets in German. Among these was the periodical Die Wahrheit (The Truth), which contained messages from the British and Free Polish
Free Polish
The term Free Polish can refer to the following:* Polish government-in-exile - The remnants of the Polish government, based in the United Kingdom, following the Invasion of Poland during World War II...
radios, inciting the German soldiers to desert
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
.
A member of the organization, Régine Krochmal, explained that the approaching technique was to ask a soldier for time in German, then begin to chat with him. If he was found open to criticism of the Nazi régime, an appointment was fixed in order to give him leaflets to spread. Such an act could lead to the death penalty for those caught.
According to another survivor, Jakob Zanger, the weekly circulation of Die Wahrheit, Österreichische Freiheitsfront, and from 1943 Freies Österreich surpassed 12,000, of which 9,000 were distributed outside Brussels. Copies were left in airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s, movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s and other places frequented by German soldiers, to ensure a maximal circulation. The newspaper of the Austrian Communist Party, Rote Fahne (Red Flag), was clandestinely printed in Belgium on cigarette paper and transported to Austria.
Among the members of the Österreichische Freiheitsfront was Jean Améry (pseudonym of Hans Mayer, 1912–1978), an Austrian Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
writer of Jewish origin. He was arrested in 1943 and deported to Auschwitz-Monowitz.
Toward the end of 1943 or beginning of 1944, a company of Austrian partisans was created, under the aegis of which Erich Ungar, a teacher and physical chemist, made bombs and explosives. Arms and munitions were obtained by attacking German soldiers, since, according to Zanger, the British only armed "white" partisans, who in practice hardly fought at all, and not "red" (communist) partisans.
In 1944, the Österreichische Freiheitsfront counted 750 members, and the president of the executive committee was Karl Przibram (b. 21 December 1878, Vienna, d. 10 August 1973, Vienna), who had arrived in Belgium with his wife at the beginning of 1939 with the intention of emigrating to England but was prevented by the German invasion of 1940. After the liberation, Przibram's prestige was so great that he performed the duties of chargé d'affaires for Austrian citizens in anticipation of reestablishment of consular and diplomatic authorities..
Irma Schwager, an Austrian antifascist militant from France, writes that she returned to Belgium after the liberation of Paris to help the Austrian antifascist raise the Österreichische Freiheitsfront, whose leadership derived from diverse affiliations: social democrats
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
, communists, monarchists and apolitical
Apolitical
The state or quality of being apolitical can be the apathy and/or the antipathy towards all political affiliations. Being apolitical can also refer to situations in which people take an unbiased position in regard to political matters.-References:...
s.
After the liberation of Belgium, some of the Austrian resistance fighters joined their comrades who had fought in France and who had fled to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to form a battalion of Austrian partisans in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
under the leadership of Max Bair. Four other battalions of partisans were subsequently formed, recruited from among prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and the Strafdivision 999 under the leadership of Fürnberg and Honner.
See also
- Francs-tireurs et partisans – main-d'œuvre immigrée (FTP-MOI)FTP-MOIThe Francs-tireurs et partisans – main-d'œuvre immigrée were a sub-group of the Francs-tireurs et partisans organization, a component of the French Resistance. A wing composed mostly of foreigners, the MOI maintained an armed force to oppose the German occupation of France during World War II...
- Todor AngelovTodor AngelovTodor Angelov Dzekov was a Bulgarian communist revolutionary who lived and was active for a long time in Western Europe. During World War II, he headed a Brussels-based group of the Belgian Resistance against Nazi Germany; he was captured and sentenced to death by the Nazis.Angelov was born in...