The history of the Jews in Austria probably begins with the exodus of Jews from Judea under Roman occupation. There have been Jews in Austria since the 3rd century CE. Over the course of many centuries, the political status of the community rose and fell many times: during certain periods, the Jewish community prospered and enjoyed political equality, and during other periods it suffered pogroms, deportations to concentration camps and mass murder, and antisemitism. The Holocaust drastically reduced the Jewish community in Austria and only 8,140 Jews remained in Austria according to the 2001 census. Today, Austria has a Jewish population of 10,300 which extends to 33,000 if Law of Return is accounted for, meaning having at least one Jewish grandparent.
Judith Deutsch-Haspel was a swimming champion who held every Austrian women's middle and long distance freestyle record in 1935.
Watermarks is a 2004 award-winning theatrical feature documentary co-written and directed by Yaron Zilberman as his directorial debut. The film reunites the champion women swimmers of the legendary Jewish sports club, Hakoah Vienna, who were forced to disband during the rise of fascism in 1930s Austria.
The Brooklyn Wanderers was a U.S. soccer team which was a founding member of the National Association Football League in the late nineteenth century. Later versions joined the original American Soccer League and the reorganized American Soccer League.
Hakoah All-Stars is a former United States soccer club, based in New York City, that played in the American Soccer League between 1930 and 1932. The club was formed after the merger of Brooklyn Hakoah of the ASL and New York Hakoah of the Eastern Soccer League. Both of these clubs were formed by former players from SC Hakoah Wien. Béla Guttmann played for the team.
New York Giants was a name used by three different New York City soccer teams. Two of these teams were associated with the New York Giants baseball franchise. The first team that used the name played in the American League of Professional Football in 1894. The second team played in the American Soccer League between 1923 and 1930 while the third team played in the same league between 1930 and 1932.
New York Hakoah is an American soccer club based in New York City, which takes its name from two earlier, defunct clubs. Hakoah is a frequent name for sport and social Jewish clubs around the world, something linked with the original clubs' ties to the Jewish community.
Rudolph Nickolsburger, also referred to as Nikolsburger Rezső and Rudy Nichols, was a Hungarian footballer who played for Ferencvárosi TC, SC Hakoah Wien and Hungary. He later emigrated to the United States where he played for New York Hakoah and Hakoah All-Stars.
Gustav "Egon" or "Erwin" Pollak was an Austrian-born footballer who played for the famed SC Hakoah Wien. He was also the first ever manager of the Israel national football team in their 3–1 loss to the United States just after gaining independence.
Maccabi or Macabi București, later known as Ciocanul, was a Romanian sport club, representing the Jewish community, akin to the famous Hakoah Vienna. Named after the Maccabees and centering on football competitions, it was the first Jewish side to send a player, the goalkeeper Samuel Zauber, to the FIFA World Cup.
Heinrich Schönfeld was an Austrian footballer who played as a forward, and football manager.
David Bolchover is a British author and commentator. The focus of his writing has ranged from the modern workplace to football. His most recent book, a biography of the football coach and Holocaust survivor Bela Guttmann, was shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.
Béla Guttmann was a Hungarian footballer and coach. He was born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, and was Jewish. He was deported by the Nazis to a Nazi slave labor camp where he was tortured; he survived the Holocaust. Before the war, he played as a midfielder for MTK Hungária FC, SC Hakoah Wien, and several clubs in the United States. Guttmann also played for the Hungary national football team, including at the 1924 Olympic Games.
Nickolaus "Mickey" Hirschl was an Austrian Olympic-medal-winning wrestler. He was also a European heavyweight wrestling champion, and for 10 years he held the title of Austrian heavyweight wrestling champion. He was also an Austrian shot put and discus junior champion, Austrian heavyweight weightlifting junior champion, and for seven years the Austrian pentathlon champion.
Alfred Guth was an Austrian water polo player, swimmer, and modern pentathlete. At the 1932 Maccabiah Games in Mandatory Palestine, in swimming he won a gold medal and two silver medals. He competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics, coming in 33rd in modern pentathlon. A Holocaust survivor, he emigrated to the United States after WWII, competed in Masters swimming, and established 41 U.S. Masters Swimming age-group records.
Hedwig "Hedy" Bienenfeld, also known after marriage as Hedy Wertheimer was an Austrian Olympic swimmer. She won a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke at the 1927 European Aquatics Championships. She competed in the same discipline at the 1928 Summer Olympics. At the 1932 Maccabiah Games and 1935 Maccabiah Games in Mandatory Palestine, she won a combined five gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal in swimming.
Friederike "Fritzi" Löwy was an Austrian Olympic swimmer. She won a bronze medal in the 400 m freestyle at the 1927 European Aquatics Championships. That same year she set the European record in the 200m freestyle. She competed in freestyle at the 1928 Summer Olympics, but did not reach the finals.
Lajos Fischer was a Hungarian footballer who played for VAC and Hakoah Vienna, and made appearances for the Hungary national team.
Ruth Langer, later known as Ruth Lawrence, was an Austrian swimmer who competed both nationally and internationally. Langer won several national titles, beginning at age 14 when she established the Austrian records for the 100m and 400m freestyle, and won the Austrian championship that year. She won a bronze medal at the 1935 Maccabiah Games in Mandatory Palestine, in the 200 m breaststroke. Selected for the Austrian Olympic Team, which was due to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Nazi Germany, she refused to participate, as a protest against the Nazi regime in Germany and their antisemitism. In retaliation, Langer was banned for life by the Austrian Swimming Federation from competing in Austria. The lifetime ban was not lifted until 60 years later, at which time the Republic of Austria and the Austrian Swimming Federation officially apologized to her, and reinstated her titles and honors which they had repealed.
Max Scheuer was an Austrian international footballer who played the defender position. He played for the Austria national football team in the 1923 season. In the 1920s, he played for and captained Hakoah Vienna. He was murdered in the Auschwitz concentration camp at some point after August 1941.
