Introduction

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Evelyn Barring in Der unsterbliche Schweijk, 1940 (1)

(c) Fotohof archiv, Salzburg

A light in dark times

Das Laterndl - Austrian exile theatre in London 1939 - 1945

Of the 200,000 Jewish residents of Austria at the time of Nazi Germany's annexation in March 1938, around 30,000 managed to emigrate to Britain before the outbreak of war in September 1939. Many spent the war years in London, fearful for the fate of those left behind, homesick for Austria, and desperate to fit in and rebuild their lives.

This exhibition tells the story of the Austrian Centre, London - set up to provide support for Austrian refugees and foster Austrian culture - and highlights the work of a unique exile theatre called Das Laterndl (The Little Lantern). The Laterndl helped to bond the Austrian refugee community together by bringing refugee stories to the stage and encouraged the audience to participate in the fight for a free and democratic Austria.

Inevitably, for a small wartime refugee theatre, only a few precious documents from the time remain. The Martin Miller and Hannah Norbert-Miller Archive at the University of London contains one of the most complete set of records of the Laterndl's history in existence. The exhibition supplements our records with other sources to weave together the unique story of this theatre.

Introduction