Austrian exodus

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Following the German annexation of Austria in 1938 and the intensified persecution of the Jews, the British and American governments relaxed their restrictions on immigration and issued entry visas to tens of thousands of German-speaking refugees. The resulting exodus can be seen as the most significant cultural migration of modern times. For the majority of the refugees from National Socialism came from educated backgrounds, and they included some of the most gifted members of the cultural elite.The remarkable contributions made by refugees from Austria to the cultural life of the English-speaking world form the subject of this book, which reviews the achievements both of refugee organisations and of outstanding individual authors, including Stefan Zweig, Erich Fried, Hilde Spiel, Josef Fraenkel, Felix Pollak and Elias Canetti. Their commitment to the struggle against fascism, exemplified by the political cartoons of Joseph Otto Flatter, also provided an inspiration for the restoration of Austrian independence after the defeat of Nazi Germany.