Three Tearless Histories. Erich Hackl

the implementation of the contract, that for the acquisition of the real estate “approval is not at present required.” At this point Leo and Fritzi Klagsbrunn and their sons have already left the territory of the German Reich—on August 7, 1938, three months before Kristallnacht and before the ordinances of the so-called Jewish Property Tax come into force. Maria Pfeiffer paid an aryanization duty, described as voluntary, of 1,000 reichsmarks in September.

      As early as the beginning of July she asked the Vienna Property Transfer Office to expedite their “agreement to the purchase of Firma Chemiker Leo Klagsbrunn, Vienna XXI, 9 Pilzgasse, which I took over on 17/3/1938.” In the same letter she complains about “the spreading of false rumors” that give her a bad name with her customers, “yes, even with the District Party leadership.” These, she said, were moves by the competition which she could only counter forcefully once the purchase had been recognized. As already mentioned, approval was granted one month later which, however, did nothing to stem the rumors. On September 28 the NSDAP HQ of Gau³ Vienna, District HQ 9, Section of Economic Affairs, sends the report of the investigation by its Floridsdorf-Ringelsee District Group to the Property Transfer Office.

      3. A name for an administrative region introduced by the Nazis.

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       MARIA ANNA PFEIFFER, b. 8/2/1903 and resident at 20 Franklinstrasse, Vienna 21, was employed as a clerk in the office of the Jew, Klagsbrunn, charcoal dealer, Pilzgasse, Vienna 21. She was a good friend of the Jew. According to the men and women who were employed there they were something more than just good friends. (Testimony of Frau Buresch and her spouse Theodor, 22 Floridusgasse, Vienna 21, Hans Kührer, 5-11 Fultonstrasse, Vienna 21.)

       On the day immediately following the Changeover, Klagsbrunn, in the presence of his wife and after consulting a lawyer, sold the business to Frau Pfeiffer, concluding a bill of sale on the transaction. Where the Racial German Pfeiffer could have found the money for this is unknown. According to the latest information, an engineer employed by Deutsche Reichsbahn, Vienna section, provided the finance as her fiancé.

       The whole matter of the sale and takeover of the business looks to us like cover for something else, and that is how it is generally referred to in Floridsdorf. In this respect Frau Pfeiffer was forced to take legal action against Frau Schrammel, store-owner, 25 Floridusgasse, Vienna 21.

       Furthermore the employee, Frau Buresch, also informs us that before her departure for Brazil (about 3 weeks ago) Frau Klagsbrunn took over the cash desk every day while RG Pfeiffer frequently accompanied the Jewish family to Vienna.

       Apparently RG Pfeiffer’s takeover of the business has already been approved by the Property Transfer Office. Furthermore she is now attempting to buy the coal chute of the Jew Stiasny and, strangely enough, is fully supported in this by the Reichsbahn while Party Comrade Hellmayer, coal merchant, Pilzgasse, Vienna 21, to whom it was promised and who has even made a relevant application to the Property Transfer Office, is not considered. What we are dealing with here seems to be a case of cronyism.

       Whatever the case, we object to RG Pfeiffer, who has not done anything at all to support the Movement and was a friend of the Jew, taking possession of the Jewish firm and propose that a provisional management be put in charge of the Klagsbrunn Jewish firm.

       A license to trade in wood and coal will not be granted to her on the part of the District Council.

       Frau Schrammel informs us that RG Pfeiffer is said to have the intention of selling the business in two months’ time in order to follow the Jews. We will keep an eye on this matter.

       Heil Hitler!

       (signature) Ringelsee District Group

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      SUMMONED FOR QUESTIONING on October 3, 1938, Maria Pfeiffer is clearly able to refute these accusations. But that is not the end of her problems. In May 1939 the Floridsdorf Tax Office informs her that Leopold Klagsbrunn has left behind unpaid taxes of 8376.85 reichsmarks, for which she, as the person who has taken over the business, is held liable. The major part of the demand—a round 7700 reichsmarks—consists of the tax on Jewish property and unpaid sales tax owed by the FAC, recently declared insolvent, which is being charged to the former president of the club. Since Maria Pfeiffer is unable to pay this sum, the tax office proposes having the house put up for compulsory auction. The justification for this measure is that Leopold Klagsbrunn is named in the land register as due a sum of 8,000 reichsmarks—the amount the buyer undertook to pay in installments. At this Maria Pfeiffer applies for that entry to be deleted, supporting her request with a list of all the payments she has made so far. This makes it clear that she has already paid the purchase price, apart from a small remainder, by settling the seller’s debts and contributing to his living expenses. Despite that, the Tax Office persists in its demands “since the inquiries conducted show that the value of the property taken over by you far exceeds the obligations of your predecessor.” It is not until July 1941 that it adopts the view of the Property Transfer Office that at the point when the Jewish Property Tax came into force both the house and firm were in Aryan possession, and the obligation to pay the installments noted in the Land Registry no longer applied, as could be seen from the satisfaction piece sent by Klagsbrunn from Rio de Janeiro. “Therefore the distraint on the installments has no basis in law and only prevents the deletion of the entry in the Land Register, to the disadvantage of an Aryan, without any prospect of procuring the sums of money for the Tax Office.” As well as that the Property Transfer Office recommended that the Tax Office drop its demand for payment of the Jewish Property Tax, because “none of the Jew’s assets were available,” and concentrate instead on Leo Klagsbrunn’s insurance policy. “Perhaps that asset is still tangible for the Tax Office.”

      Just one month later, on August 19, 1941, the Vienna office of the Gestapo strips the Klagsbrunn family of their German nationality, orders the seizure of their property, “both movable and immovable,” to the benefit of the German Reich and, in agreement with the West Moabit, Berlin, Tax Office, which is responsible for the confiscation of forfeited assets, appoints the attorney, Dr. Stephan Lehner, as administrator. Once more Maria Pfeiffer has to furnish proof that she has already paid the purchase price for the house and business—in total 23,333.33 reichsmarks. Since the proceeds from the redemption of the policy—suddenly it only brings in 1481.40 reichsmarks—has already been called in by the Floridsdorf Tax Office in January 1942, all that he can lay his hands on is the Klagsbrunns’ jewelry, for the sale of which the Vienna office the Gestapo collects 12.48 reichsmarks. After the deduction of bank fees and transfer costs, that leaves a balance of ten reichsmarks that are credited to the account of the Senior Tax Officer of Vienna-Lower Danube.

      At this point—the middle of May 1943—the Klagsbrunn family has long since settled in Rio de Janeiro. The journey there, however, took a whole seven months because of a long stay in Lisbon. We know that because twenty years later Kurt Klagsbrunn was to write under ‘Proof’ (of his claim to have fled Austria in August 1938) on a form of the Austrian Assistance Fund for victims of political persecution: “Passport no. A527775, issued by the police in Vienna June 13, 1934; withdrawn on September 5, 1938, by the German embassy in Lisbon.” There, in Lisbon, he receives a letter from London in which Eva Rhoden describes the experiences she and her sister had during their last days in Vienna.

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      ON NOVEMBER 10 & 11 we were imprisoned. In Sinai’s furniture shed. With all the Jews of Floridsdorf, from 2 years old to 100. 2 days without food and with nowhere to sleep. But hard work for all that. We had to unload 4 furniture vans with our own things. Even Liesl’s bookshelf had been unscrewed and taken down. And when she quietly asked how they’d managed it, she’d always wondered, they were almost going to hit her. But Michel’s sister gave one of them such a lovely smile, he didn’t bother. I started crying uncontrollably when I saw all our dear, lovely things gathered there. I didn’t know what I was starting with my tears. All the women began to sob, the SA bellowed, “Stop it!” It was horrible.