Vienna launches week of events to address antisemitism
Thursday 5th November 2026 on 07:45 in
Austria
Vienna’s fifth Action Week against Antisemitism begins today, with workshops, tours and talks running through next Friday at the Haus der Geschichte Österreich, a history museum, ORF Wien reported.
The Vienna Jewish Community has recorded a significant rise in antisemitic incidents since Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. It documented 671 incidents in the first half of this year, including physical assaults, threats and property damage.
“Rising antisemitism was already a problem before 7 October 2023,” Monika Sommer, director of the Haus der Geschichte Österreich, told ORF Wien. “Antisemitism today has many facets in Austria.” She said the programme aimed to offer a nuanced approach amid polarisation over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The week opens with a discussion about an exhibition featuring artist Alon Ishay, who has spoken publicly against current instances of antisemitism. Other events include workshops, discussions and tours on remembrance culture, racism and National Socialism. On Monday, Vienna’s Jewish youth will light the “Light of Hope” at Karmelitermarkt, a market.
Education is the focus this year. School and apprenticeship groups can attend workshops, while teachers can take part in training sessions and talks. The museum also provides online resources on how to address antisemitism. Sommer said the issue was relevant throughout the year, but the programme was expanded around the anniversary of the November pogroms.
During the pogroms on the night of 9 to 10 November 1938, Jewish shops, homes and synagogues were looted. Thousands of Jewish people were arrested and deported to concentration camps. The pogroms are considered a precursor to the Holocaust, in which more than 60,000 Viennese Jews were murdered.
ORF is marking the anniversary with programmes on ORF 2, ORF III, Ö1 and ORF ON. They include the documentaries “Hitler’s Willing Helpers: Austrians under National Socialism” and “From Vienna to Jerusalem: Theodor Herzl and His Book The Jewish State.”