Plan for Austrian Holocaust Archive Fails

A group of academics have ended their support towards an Austrian Holocaust studies centre, due to independent research having been ceased.

The Vienna Wiesenthal Institute for Holocaust Studies started their provisional operations in January, with the goal to offer around 8,000 files of the late "Nazi Hunter," Simon Wiesenthal and sections of a massive archive belonging to the Jewish Community Vienna to researchers. Unfortunately for independent researchers, former officials at the institute reveal that the Jewish Community Vienna has limited access to the archives.

Private Law professor at the University of Salzburg, and the current Executive Committee Chairman at the institution, Georg Graf, reveals that he regrets the resignation of members, saying he is under the impression that the resigned board members based the decisions on the absence of factual information. There is a risk of the institute’s independence being revoked according to the board members, says Graf.