The account of the events at Förstergasse 7 serves as a testimony to the violence that took place in the Leopoldstadt district. Documenting the actions of the SS against Jewish residents, it provides insight into the final phase of the conflict before the arrival of the Red Army. This narrative is part of the 41 Days. End of War 1945 digital series curated by historians.
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This narrative, part of the '41 Days. End of War 1945' digital exhibition, recounts the tragic events at Förstergasse 7 in Vienna during the final weeks of World War II. It documents the murder of nine Jewish individuals by the SS, providing a harrowing glimpse into the violence that occurred just hours before the arrival of the Red Army.
On April 11, 1945, members of the SS entered the residential building at Förstergasse 7 in Vienna's Leopoldstadt district, targeting hundreds of people seeking refuge in the cellars. During the raid, four Jewish men and five Jewish women were identified, dragged onto the street, executed in the building's entranceway after dark, and buried in a nearby bomb crater. One of the victims was 21-year-old Kurt Mezei, who had previously avoided deportation due to his mother's work for the Jewish Council of Elders. This account serves as a stark testimony to the brutality experienced in the final phase of the war. Only hours after this atrocity, Soviet forces arrived at the Förstergasse area. This entry is curated as part of the broader digital series '41 Days. End of War 1945', which examines the escalation of violence throughout Austria during the spring of 1945.
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