40 Years After Terror Attack on City Temple in Vienna - Commemoration of Victims and Heroes
On August 29, 1981, the synagogue in Vienna (City Prayer House - Stadttempel) was shaken by a terrorist attack. It was the bloodiest attack on Jewish life in Austria after World War II. Two Palestinian terrorists killed two people in the attack, and 21 were injured, some seriously.
The City Temple (City Prayer House - Stadttempel) is the main synagogue of Vienna. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Yair Haklai, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
"The attack in the Vienna synagogue 40 years ago was the biggest and bloodiest attack on Jewish life in Austria after World War II, leaving two dead, dozens injured and many traumatized. We must all pull together to resolutely fight every manifestation of anti-Semitism," said Chancellery Minister Karoline Edtstadler at the commemorations of the Jewish Community on the 40th anniversary of the attack on the city temple, which was also attended by contemporary witnesses.
On August 29, 1981, the synagogue in Vienna was shaken by a terrorist attack. Two Palestinian terrorists killed two people in the attack, 21 were injured, some seriously. The fact that more people did not die in this attack was mainly due to the quick action of police officers and private security forces.
"Only by taking a firm stand against all forms of anti-Semitism can we ensure that Jews can live without worrying about their safety. This is also what our National Strategy against Anti-Semitism stands for. It is an impetus for a structured approach across society," Edtstadler said. However, in order to ensure these efforts, the strategy, which consists of 38 measures, must be evaluated regularly, she added.
It was urgent to combat anti-Semitism as a whole society. As a current example, the minister referred, for example, to Corona deniers who appear with Jewish stars. Standing up against such acts, "that is our duty." Hate and terror are unfortunately also not over today, she reminded in conclusion of the attack of November 2, 2020 (also close to the Stadttempel), in which an assassin killed four people in downtown Vienna.
On August 30, 2021, Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler also welcomed Centropa employees and contemporary witnesses to a reception.
About City Temple - Seitenstetten Temple
The City Temple is the main synagogue of Vienna. It is located in the 1st district of Vienna (Innere Stadt) at Seitenstettengasse 4, which is why the main synagogue is also called Seitenstettentempel. It was common before 1938, due to the large number of synagogues and prayer rooms in Vienna, to name the institutions after the streets or alleys.
About Centropa
Centropa is a non-profit, Jewish historical institute dedicated to preserving 20th century Jewish family stories and photos from Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and disseminating these stories and photos through films, books and exhibitions.
The main office is in Vienna. Centropa also has offices in Budapest, Hamburg and Washington DC.
At Centropa's main office in Vienna, an international team of historians, filmmakers, journalists and educators work to preserve and disseminate 20th century Jewish history in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Balkans and the Baltic States through eyewitness accounts.
Based on this online archive, Centropa develops teaching materials in international cooperation with educators and multipliers, which are freely available on Centropa's website. In regular training seminars, teachers are trained in the use of these materials and asked for feedback on quality assurance.
Federal Chancellery of Austria