Vienna Chamber of Labour

Etikett aus der Bibliothek von Victor Adler

Label from the library of Victor Adler

Since 2011, 92 books and bookplates from the library of the Arbeiterkammer ("Chamber of Labor") in Vienna, including the libraries of Victor Adler and Engelbert Pernerstorfer, have been restituted to the AK Bibliothek Wien für Sozialwissenschaften.

The books from the Vienna Chamber of Labor were confiscated by the Sicherheitsdienst in March 1938 and subsequently transported to Berlin, where they were handed over to the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA, Reich Main Security Office) for the establishment of a so-called Gegnerbibliothek (enemy library).

Most of the books were taken from a depot at Eisenacher Str. 11-13 in Berlin Schöneberg. The RSHA had collected stolen books from all over Europe there. After the end of the war in 1945, parts of these books were distributed by the Bergungsstelle ("Salvage Office") to libraries in Berlin.

Additional information

  • Stubenvoll, Karl: Das Ende einer “sozialistischen” Bibliothek. Die Plünderung und Zerstörung der Sozialwissenschaftlichen Studienbibliothek der Wiener Arbeiterkammer durch die Nationalsozialisten. In: Medien und Zeit, 19. Jg., H. 4 (2004) S. 4-17.
  • Stubenvoll, Karl: Die SS und der Raub der „Marxisten­bibliotheken“ in der Wiener Arbeiter­kammer. Neue Facetten der Bibliotheksplünderung im Jahr 1938. In: AK Bibliothek Wien für Sozial­wissen­schaften (Hg.) Jahrbuch 2011. S. 59-92.
  • Webseite der AK Bibliothek Wien für Sozialwissenschaften
  • Wikipedia: Victor Adler
  • Wikipedia: Engelbert Pernerstorfer

The restituted objects at lootedculturalassets.de