In yesterday's session, the Austrian Historical Commission discussed the "Aryanization List" which has been presented to the public during the last few weeks. These materials are highly informative documents on "aryanizations" and unclaimed property of deceased persons which have been known and accessible to the public for a considerable time in the National Archives. Inter alia, the report about unclaimed property in Austria prepared in 1953 contains estimates of the total of "aryanized" land, buildings and money. These sources form one of the points of departure for the Commission's research work in the area of "aryanization" and restitution.

Yesterday's meeting approved two projects on forced labour in agriculture and forestry in Austria. They centre around comparative regional studies about living conditions of forced labourers (men and women). The projects involve biographical interviews with survivors from Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Poland and other countries. They will include not only the reminiscences of the labourers themselves but also those of farmers and other local residents, in order to reconstruct everyday practices. Questions will, for example, refer to pay, acommodation, food, clothing and hygiene. The two projects will be directed by Stefan Karner, Professor at Graz University and Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research into the Consequences of the War, and Ela Hornung, a historian in Vienna.

The Commission also noted the interim reports on current research projects and some project offers on practices in applying nationality law. The Commission will decide on awards of new projects at its next session.

For further information please contact:
Sekretariat der Historikerkommission
Wien 3, Nottendorfergasse 2, phone: +43/1/79540-180 od. 181, fax: +43/1/79540-186

REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH
HISTORIKERKOMMISSION