The Austrian Centre
'I quickly grew to value and love the new type of people who came together here. There was not a single one among them whom the new barbarism had not robbed of a vital aspect of their life: their livelihood, their means, their family ties. Children without parents, parents without children. And yet with a will and a courage beyond compare, all were setting about establishing a new life.' (7)
The Austrian Centre opened its doors on 16 March 1939, a year after the annexation of Austria. Set up to provide support for refugees, foster Austrian culture and promote relations with Britain, the centre offered a wide range of services including a café, hostel, library, performance space, facilities for mending shoes, a tailoring workshop and a weekly newspaper.
The Austrian Centre is inextricably linked to Austrian exile. By the end of 1940, 7,200 Austrian refugees had signed up for an annual membership, about a quarter of all Austrian refugees in the UK. From its first premises in London - 124 Westbourne Terrace W2 - it expanded to include two more houses in the street, as well as branches in North London (Swiss Cottage 1941, and Finsbury Park 1943) and Glasgow (1944).
The accounts for the year 1940 state the annual turnover to be £11,000. As activities expanded, this grew to £46,000 in 1943, the equivalent of £2 million today. According to the 1944 annual report there were over 70 members of staff, 119 volunteers, and 3,500 signed-up members.
'During the seven years of darkness, alienation and fighting, the Austrian Centre was the meeting and resting point where all activities of the Austrian refugees originated from' (8)
When Eva Kolmer wrote the seven-year report in 1946 she was justifiably proud of the achievements of the Centre. The extent of the activities was truly impressive, as evidenced by this Activity Sheet. Half of the sheet is taken up by the all-important menu in the restaurant, with Austrian favourites such as 'Fridattensuppe' (Austrian pancake soup), 'Polsterzipf' (Pillow corner pastries), and 'Dobosch' (Hungarian sponge cake with chocolate and caramel).
The seven-year report gives a very good summary of the Centre's activities, showing how it adapted to the evolving needs of the refugees:
'1938 Advice for passport issues helping to bring across refugees, advice for domestic servants.
1939 Finding employment for domestic servants, English courses, first aid courses, free tickets for refugees for the theatre and concerts, help finding a place to live, first financial aid fund, free food, help with immigration tribunals.
1940 Fight against anti-foreigner diatribes, fight against internment, financial support for those internees and their dependents, financial support for victims of bombing, advice and help for victims of bombing in the East End.
1941 Christmas campaign for internees, retraining and employment advice for war work, labour exchange, money transfers to inmates in Vichy France, fight for the release of internees, help for those released.
1942 Christmas campaign for internees and soldiers in the Pioneer Corps. Collaboration with the international labour exchange and labour exchange for Germans and Austrians, half-days and Sundays voluntary harvest work, giving blood, volunteers for hospitals and canteens.
1943 Volunteers for land work, help for Austrian soldiers in the British army (British papers, transfer requests), recruiting campaign, parcels for Theresienstadt, help for refugees in the Miranda Camp in Spain, help for refugees in North-Africa, post-war training courses, collection of clothes for North-Africa, change of registration.
1944 Help with the harvest, advice for people bombed out of their homes, courses for school helpers, search bureau for missing persons, fundraising campaign for soldiers and Austrians in freed Europe, Christmas campaign.
1945 Missing persons lists, certificate for experts, greetings campaign, postal deliveries to Austria, registration of Austrians, information regarding questions of citizenship, sending literature, books, and clothes to Austria.'