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Poster expressing Austrian Bishops' support for Anschluss

Object | Accession Number: 1990.333.6

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    Poster expressing Austrian Bishops' support for Anschluss
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    Overview

    Brief Narrative
    Poster displaying three typed letters written by Austrian Bishops and other Catholic clergy members expressing support for Anschluss, the German annexation of Austria in 1938. The letters are marked with the signature and seal of Theodore Innitzer, Archbishop of Vienna. Austria had experienced a prolonged period of economic stagnation, political dictatorship, and intense Nazi propaganda. When German troops entered the country on March 12, 1938 they received the enthusiastic support of most of the population, including the clergy, and Austria was incorporated into Germany the next day. The poster is an attempt to curry support for a referendum that would legitimize the annexation. In April, the German annexation was retroactively approved in a referendum that was manipulated by the Germans to indicate that about 99 percent of the Austrian people wanted the union.
    Title
    Einheitliche Stellungnahme der Bischöfe Österreichs zur Wahl
    Alternate Title
    Unified statement of the bishops of Austria for election
    Date
    publication/distribution:  1938 March 18
    Geography
    distribution: Austria
    Credit Line
    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
    Markings
    front, top, printed, red ink : Einheitliche Stellungnahme / der Bischöfe Österreichs / zur Wahl: [Single Statement of the Bishops of Austria on Election:]

    front, left top letter, printed, black ink : Wien, am 19.Marz 1938 / Der Erzbifchof von Wien / Sehr geehrter Herr Gauleiter, / Beigeechlosseene Krklärung Blanchöfe übersende ich hie- / mit.Sie ergen dsrsus,case wir Bischöfe freiwilling und ohne / Zwang unsere nationale Pflicht erfüllt haben.Ich weise, dase / dieser Erklärung eine gute Zusammenarbeit folgen wird. / Mit dem Ausdruck ausgezeichneter Hoohachtung/ (signed signatures) [Vienna, 19 March 1938 / Archbishop of Vienna / I sent an enclosed statement with the bishops. They result in a case in which we bishops have freely and without obligation fulfilled our national duty. I wish that this declaration will be followed by good cooperation. With the expression of excellent homage, [signed signatures]

    front, center letter, printed, black ink : Feierliche Erklärung ! / Aus innerster Überzeugung und mit freiem Willem erklären / wir unterzeichneten Bischöfe der österreichischen Kirchen- / provinz anlässlich der grossen geschichtlichen Geschehnisse / in Deutsch-Österreich: / Wir erkennen freudig an, dass die nationalsozialistische / Bewegung auf dem Gebiet des völkischen und wirtschaftlichen / Aufbaues sowie der Sozial-Politik für das Deutsche Reich und / Volk und namentlich für die ärmsten Schichten des Volkes / Hervorragendes geleistet hat und leistet. Wir sind auch / der Überzeugung, dass durch das Wirken der nationalsozialistis / schen Bewegung die Gefahr des alles zerstörenden gottlosen / Bolschewismus abgewehrt wurde. / Die Bischöfe begleiten dieses Wirken für die Zukunft mit ihren / besten Segenswünschen und werden auch die Gläubigen in diesem / Sinne ermahnen. / Am Tage der Volksabstimmung ist es für uns Bischöfe selbst- / verständliche nationale Pflicht, uns als Deutsche zum Deut- / schen Reich zu bekennen, und wir erwarten auch von allen / gläubigen Christen, dass sie wissen, was sie ihrem Volke schuldig sind. / Wien, am 18. März 1938/ [signed signatures] [Solemn statement! Out of deepest conviction and with free will, we signed bishops declare for the Austrian Province Church on the occasion of the great historical events in German Austria. We gladly acknowledge that the National Socialist movement has done and is doing a great job in the field of national and economic development and social policy for the German Reich and people, and especially for the poorest sections of the people. We are also convinced that the work of the National Socialist movement averted the danger of all-destructive godless Bolshevism. The bishops accompany this work for the future with their best blessings and will also admonish the faithful in this sense. On the day of the plebiscite, it is a matter of course for us bishops to declare ourselves Germans to the German Reich, and we expect all believing Christians to know what they owe their people. Vienna, March 18, 1938]

    front, left bottom note, printed, black ink : Vorwort zur feierlichen Erklärung der österreichi- / schen Bischöfe in Sachen der Volksabstlmsung / Nach eingshenden Beratungen haben wir Bischöfe von Oester- / reichs angesichts der grossen geschichtlichen Stunden, die Oester- / reichs Volk erblebt, und im Bewusstsein, dass in unseren Tagen / die tausendjährige Sehns uoht unseres Volkes nach Einigung / in einem grossen Reich der Deutschen ihre Erfüllung findet, / une entschlossen, nachfolgenden Aufruf an alle unsere Gläubi- / gen zu richten. / Wir können das umso unbesorgter tun, als uns der Beauftragte / des Fuhrers für die Volksabstimmung in Oesterreich, Gaulöäter / Bürokal die aufrichtige Linie seiner Politik bekanntgab, die / unter dem Motto stehen soll: Gebeet Gott, was Gottes ist und dem / Kaiser was des Kaisers ist.” / Wien, am 21. März 1938. / Für die Wiener Kirohenprovinz: [signed signature] / Für die Salsburger Kirohenprovinz: [signed signature] [Foreword to the solemn declaration of the Austrian bishops concerning the referendum. After some consultation we bishops of Austria, in the face of the great historical event, see that Austria's people are dying, and are aware that in our day the millennial yearning of our people for settlement in a great empire of Germans finds its fulfillment, unscheduled, subsequent appeal to address to all our believers. We can do this all the more anxiously when the Commissioner for the Referendum in Austria, Gaul[?]ter Bürokal, announced to us the sincere line of his policy, "Pray God, what God is and to the emperor what is the emperor's. / Vienna, March 21, 1938 / For the Vienna Kirohen Province: / For the Salsburg Kirohen Province:]

    front, bottom, printed, red ink : Mit Freude und aufrichtiger Genugtuung nimmt das ganze deutsche Volk von dieser Erklärung Kenntnis. Sie ist / geeignet, einen Schlußstrich unter die Vergangenheit zu ziehen. Sie beweist, daß in dieser für das deutsche Volk und / seine Zukunft so ereignisreichen Zeit auch die katholische Kirche den Weg zum neuen Staat finden will. / Der Nationalsozialismus, der das unverrückbare Ziel der Einigung aller Deutschen verfolgt, wird glücklich sein, auch auf / diesem Gebiet den Hader und damit die Zerrissenheit unseres Volkes beenden yu können. So wird vielleicht zum / erstenmal in unserer Geschichte am 10.April 1938 die ganze deutsche Volksgemeinschaft ohne Rücksicht auf Stämme, Länder, Klassen und Konfessionen geschlossen zur Wahlurne treten und vorbehaltlos ihr Ja aussprechen. [National Socialism, which pursues the unvarying goal of the unification of all Germans, will be happy to be able to end the strife and thus the turmoil of our people in this area as well. Thus, perhaps for the first time in our history on April 10, 1938, the entire German national community will enter the ballot box without reservation for tribes, countries, classes, and denominations, and pronounce their yes without reservation.]
    Contributor
    Subject: Theodor Innitzer
    Biography
    Theodor Innitzer was born December 25, 1875 in Weipert, Bohemia (now Vejprty, Czech Republic). Innitzer was ordained as a priest in 1902. He lectured at the University of Vienna, and eventually became head of the theological faculty and rector of the university. On Sept. 20, 1932, Innitzer was consecrated archbishop of Vienna, Austria, becoming cardinal in March 1933. On March 12, 1938, German troops entered Austria, receiving enthusiastic support from most of the population. Austria was incorporated into Germany they next day in what would become known as the Anschluss. Innitzer publicly supported the Anschluss and also urged the Austrian clergy to support Hitler and the Nazis. In October, Innitzer, backed by the Vatican, criticized the Nazis’ restrictions on the free press and urged Catholics to resist anti-Catholic measures. His remarks elicited attacks on the archiepiscopal palace by Nazi mobs. Theodor Innitzer, aged 79, died on December 9, 1955 in Vienna.

    Physical Details

    Language
    German
    Classification
    Posters
    Physical Description
    Offset lithographic poster printed on faded off white paper with a linen backing. The poster has a white border and a black background with the image of a typed memorandum on white paper in the center and two smaller typed sheets to the left. The largest page has a centered, underlined title with four short paragraphs of black typed text below and seven signatures at the bottom. The top left page bears the coat of arms of the Archbishop of Vienna, Theodor Innitzer. Below is a title followed by a paragraph and two signatures. The lower page has two lines of black text followed by two paragraphs and two signatures. The main poster text is in red, with three large lines at the top and two paragraphs of smaller red text with "Ja" at the bottom in white text. The poster is creased with two large vertical tears on the top right side.
    Dimensions
    overall: Height: 46.750 inches (118.745 cm) | Width: 33.125 inches (84.138 cm)
    Materials
    overall : paper, ink, linen, adhesive, pencil
    Inscription
    front, bottom right, pencil : pII 56
    back, bottom right, pencil : pII 56
    back bottom left, pencil : 16/L

    Rights & Restrictions

    Conditions on Access
    No restrictions on access
    Conditions on Use
    No restrictions on use

    Keywords & Subjects

    Corporate Name
    Catholic Church

    Administrative Notes

    Provenance
    The poster was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1990.
    Record last modified:
    2023-08-24 14:54:19
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn3773

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