Restoration of the Jewish cemeteries in Deutschkreutz and Stockerau completed by the Cemeteries Fund and the Jewish Community Vienna

On Monday 19 December 2016 the Fund for the Restoration of the Jewish Cemeteries in Austria (Cemeteries Fund) and the Jewish Community Vienna approved the restoration work carried out on the Jewish cemeteries in Deutschkreutz and Stockerau. The competent municipalities can now assume responsibility for the upkeep of the cemeteries from 1 January 2017 for a period of 20 years. Necessary restoration and safety measures had been carried out on these two cemeteries over the last few years in cooperation with the Federal Office for the Protection of Monuments.

The Director of the Jewish Community Vienna’s Real Estate Department, Ing. Martin Eck MSc, commented: “I am glad that the restoration of these two cemeteries has enabled us to set standards for future projects”.

In November, the Cemetery Fund’s Board of Trustees had already approved funding to the tune of 1.2 million euros for five additional projects to be undertaken by the Jewish Community Vienna: the restoration of the Jewish cemeteries in Währing, Vienna, at the Vienna Central Cemetery, Gates 1 and 4 and the cemeteries in Lackenbach and Kobersdorf in Burgenland.

The Secretary General of the Fund for the Restoration of the Jewish Cemeteries, Mag. Hannah Lessing, expressed her gratitude to all of the institutions involved for the excellent collaboration and her pleasure at the outcome of the most recent session of the Board of Trustees: “The latest subsidies will allow urgent restoration work to be carried out on the dilapidated Jewish cemeteries to save these culturally and historically important monuments from falling into a state of disrepair. I am also glad that the restoration work carried out on the cemeteries in Deutschkreutz and Stockerau with the support of the Fund has been completed and that these special places of remembrance can now fulfil their true purpose.”

Between 2011 and 2016 measures have been taken to preserve the Jewish cemeteries in Deutschkreutz, Göttsbach/Ybbs, Graz, Hohenems, Kobersdorf, Lackenbach, Stockerau and at Gates 1 and 4 of the Vienna Central Cemetery with federal subsidies of approx. 2 million euros. Additional funding was granted for a database containing records of the graves in every Jewish cemetery in Austria. The Province of Lower Austria covered 25 percent of the total restoration costs for the cemetery in Stockerau.

The Fund for the Restoration of the Jewish Cemeteries in Austria was established in 2010 in implementation of the Austria’s obligation under international law set out in the “Washington Agreement” to restore and maintain known and unknown Jewish cemeteries in Austria. Over a period of 20 years the Austrian Federation will allocate the Fund, established under the auspices of the National Council, an annual amount of one million euros. The Board of Trustees of the Fund for the Restoration of the Jewish Cemeteries in Austria decides on applications for funding in accordance with its Guidelines. Information on the restoration projects and on the Jewish cemeteries in Austria in general can be found on the Fund’s website at friedhofsfonds.org.

Enquiries:

Fund for the Restoration of the Jewish Cemeteries in Austria
Parliament, Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring 3, 1017 Vienna
Tel. +43 1 408 12 63
Email: presse@nationalfonds.org

Jewish Community Vienna
Seitenstettengasse 4, 1010 Vienna
Tel. +43 1 531 04-0
Fax. +43 1 531 04-108
E-mail: office@ikg-wien.at