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Russia to hand 22 archival fonds taken to Soviet Union after WW2 over to Austria

Almost 2,400 documents are planned to be delivered to Austria

MOSCOW, September 30. /TASS/. Russia will hand over 22 fonds of archival documents taken to the Soviet Union in the aftermath of the Second World War back to Austria, the Russian government said in an order published on its official website on Monday.

"To accept the proposal of the Federal Archival Agency agreed with the Russian Foreign Ministry and Culture Ministry to hand over 22 Austrian archival funds moved as a result of the Second World War and stored in the Russian State Military Archive to the government of the Republic of Austria," the order says.

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The Federal Archival Agency is instructed to settle "issues relating to reimbursing the costs of storing, restoration and inventorization" of these archival documents with Austria. The fonds will be handed over free of any customs tariffs, the order adds.

The attachment to the order clarifies that these documents belonged to different Jewish organizations in the pre-war Austria. Almost 2,400 documents (stored units) are planned to be delivered to Austria.

The annexation (Anschluss) of Austria into Nazi Germany took place in March 1938. After the move, German racial laws were imposed, Jews were persecuted, while all Jewish organizations and newspapers were closed down. In 1945, after Austria was liberated by Soviet troops, the country was split into four occupation zones between the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and France. In May 1955, the Austrian State Treaty (Austrian Independence Treaty) was signed to re-establish Austria as a sovereign state.

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