The association for Services Abroad, founded in 1998 by Andreas Hörtnagl and Andreas Maislinger was renamed in 2006 as Austrian Service Abroad. Since 2001 Michael Prochazka is also in the board of directors of the non-governmental organization. Once a month a meeting takes place in each federal state.
The organization provides positions for an alternative Austrian national service all over the world and is based in Innsbruck. The regular nine month alternative national service (Zivildienst) is substituted by a 12-month service at one of its partner organisations abroad. There are great variations in the requirements. Austrian Service Abroad is an institution which provides young male Austrians with a government funded alternative to the compulsory military service. Its main focuses are social work and Holocaust Memorial Service.
Austrian Service Abroad offers three different types of Zivildienst-substitutes:
Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service (Österreichischer Gedenkdienst)
This program was founded in 1992 and has been a part of the association Austrian Service Abroad since 1998. It deals with the victims of Nazism. Austrian Holocaust Memorial servants work for Holocaust memorials, like museums and research facilities (for example at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, the Jewish Museum Berlin, the European Roma Rights Centre in Budapest or Yad Vashem in Jerusalem)
For several years now, Austrian Holocaust Memorial servants also have been sent to assignments in former refuge countries of the victim groups persecuted by the Nazis, for example the Casa Stefan Zweig in Petrópolis (Brazil), the Centre for Jewish Studies in Shanghai, as well as the Jewish Museum of Australia in Melbourne. Since 1992 hundreds of young Austrian Holocaust Memorial servants in 22 countries have reappraised the history of the Holocaust worldwide and made an important contribution to the Austrian processing of history.
Austrian Social Service (Österreichischer Sozialdienst)
It is performed within the scope of projects that serve the economic and social development of the respective country. Social servants are active in the following areas: projects for street-children, educational projects and children's villages, care for the old and handicapped, medical care as well as care and help for homosexuals.
Further places of assignment are environmental projects and developing projects (for example: improvement of drinking water supplies) in the countries of the Third World. Andreas Daniel Matt, the first foreign servant of the year who has provided his social service in 2004 in a SOS children's village in Lahore (Pakistan) has, with the organization proLoka, founded even another place of assignment.
Since October, 1998 hundreds of Austrian Social servants were predominantly assigned to countries in Central and South America, Africa and Asia. But also organizations like royal London Society for the Blind in England and the orphanage faith in Saint Petersburg (Russia) are part of this worldwide network.
Austrian Peace Service (Österreichischer Friedensdienst)
Peace servants are occupied within organizations that serve the achievement or protection of peace in connection with armed conflicts. They work, e.g., in non-state organizations in Israel where they organize workshops or common initiatives of the conflicting parties.
In Nanjing in China a peace service application place exists since 2008 in the John Rabe house which reappraises the massacre of Nanjing in 1937. This edged out event still strains the Sino-Japanese relations and was decisive in 2005 for wide protests in Beijing and other towns. The Japanese school book quarrel led in China to movements against falsification of history in Japanese school books. That's why the Austrian Peace Service donated together with the Thomas Rabe Community Center in 2009 for the first time the John Rabe Award.
The International Council is the advisory arm for the executive committee of the Austrian Service Abroad regarding all matters of the respective country.
Ernst Florian Winter, Chairman
Argentina: Erika Rosenberg
Australia: Paul R. Bartrop, Daniel James Schuster
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Eli Tauber
Brazil: Alberto Dines
Canada: Walter Absil
Costa Rica: Roland Spendlingwimmer
Croatia: Branko Lustig
France: Michel Cullin, Beate Klarsfeld
Georgia: Gabriela von Habsburg
Germany: Thomas Rabe
Hungary: György Dalos
India: Barbara Nath-Wiser
Israel: Ben Segenreich
Italy: Camilla Brunelli
Palestinian territories: Andreas Sami Prauhart
Poland: Władysław Bartoszewski
Russia: Ilya Altman
Senegal: Charles M. Huber
Sweden: Gerald Nagler
United Kingdom: Ladislaus Löb
United States: Randolph M. Bell, Anna Rosmus
The US is currently the country with the largest number of places offered for Holocaust Memorial Service. Well known Holocaust Museums and Memorial Institutions like the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation in Los Angeles received several Holocaust Memorial Servants since the 1990s.
At present, Austrian Service Abroad sends young Austrians to the following partner institutions:
Argentina
Buenos Aires - Center for homeless children and adolescents
Australia
Melbourne - Jewish Museum of Australia
Melbourne - Jewish Holocaust Museum and Research Centre
The Jewish Holocaust Museum and Research Centre considers the finest memorial to all victims of racist policies to be an educational program which aims to combat anti-Semitism, racism and prejudice in the community and foster understanding between people. The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service representatives work in different fields and areas of responsibility, undertaking translation, research, working in the library and on the museum’s database, and helping with exhibitions and events.
Belarus
Minsk - Belarusian Children's Hospice
Minsk - Dietski Dom No. 6 (Children's Home No. 6)
Minsk - Kindergarten for Children with Special Needs
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo - Phoenix Initiative
Brazil
Alagoinhas - Associacao Lar Sao Benedito
Lauro de Freitas - Community Centre Christ Liberator
Petrópolis - Casa Stefan Zweig
Rio de Janeiro - Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)
Bulgaria
Sofia - Schalom - Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria
Canada
Montreal - Holocaust Memorial Centre
The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre was founded by a group of Holocaust survivors and opened to the public in 1979. Through its Museum, its commemorative programs and its educational initiatives, the Centre aims to alert the public to the dangers of anti-Semitism, bigotry and hate, while promoting respect for diversity and the sanctity of human life. The field of activity of an ‘Austrian Holocaust Memorial Volunteer’ at the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre is very diverse. The duties range from helping with tasks in the office, to translations (German-English) as well as to research assistance or to the description and digitization of collection artefacts. Another essential part of the work schedule is covering the museum front desk. In doing so, the volunteer interacts with Holocaust survivors, students, teachers and visitors to coordinate tours and to ensure a proper daily routine. Furthermore, the volunteer is involved in several projects and events including “Witness to History”, “A Bar &Bat Mitzvah to Remember”, “Kristallnacht Commemoration”, and others.
Montreal - Kleinmann Family Foundation Montreal
The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servant at the “Kleinmann Family Foundation” digitalizes and archives artifacts, documents and photographs as well as maintains and improves the database and the website. The volunteer gives presentations in high schools and colleges about the Holocaust and Moral Responsibility. The servant also interviews Holocaust survivors for "Oral History"-projects.
Toronto - Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre / Hillel Canada
This internship is a joint partnership between Jewish Federation of Canada-United Israel Appeal of Canada's University campus Hillel Canada and United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto's Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre. The intern's primary responsibilities will be to complete projects that have been assigned by the two agencies. The intern will be supporting students in developing new education programs in terms of the Holocaust with the center and on university campuses. Other tasks are: support for the organization of the education trip to Vienna for Canadian, Jewish students, outreach to, and maintaining connection with local schools in terms of Holocaust education related activities.
Chile
Santiago - CTD Galvarino - Sename (planned)
China
Harbin - Harbin Jewish Research Center (planned)
Qiqihar - China SOS Children's Village Association
Shanghai - Center of Jewish Studies
Costa Rica
La Gamba - Tropical Field Station La Gamba
The biological station in La Gamba is an Austrian institution, which serves as base for investigations for scientists from all over the world. Furthermore, the station started projects like the reforestation, the creation of environmental awareness and also projects to support the inhabitants. Our servants in La Gamba help to keep the station functional and collaborate in many of the named projects.
Finca Sonador - Finca Sonador
Czech Republic
Prague - Federation of Jewish Communities
France
Oradour - Centre de la Mémoire d'Oradour
Paris - La Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Déportation
Paris - Amicale de Mauthausen The Amicale de Mauthausen is a French institution in memory of the Mauthausen concentration camp and its many subcamps. Founded in october 1945 by survivors of the Mauthausen concentration camp the Amicale de Mauthausen is present at the annual camp liberation ceremonies in Austria and organizes excursions for its members as well as for French high school students. The volunteers tasks include french-german translations of documents and assistance with the planning of excursions as well as the digitalization of the organizations archives.
Strasbourg - Congress of the Council of Europe, European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion
Gabon
Lambaréné - Medical Research Unit, Albert Schweitzer Hospital
Germany
Berchtesgaden - Dokumentation Obersalzberg
The Dokumentation Obersalzberg is a place of guided learning and remembrance designed by the Institut für Zeitgeschichte. At the Dokumentation Obersalzberg the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servant works at the museum educational service. The main part of the work is the organisation of guided tours and workshops. He also gets the opportunity to create new educational material like workshops.
Berlin - Jewish Museum Berlin
Berlin - Ecumenical Memorial Centre Plötzensee - Christians and Resistance
Cölbe - Terra Tech
Moringen - Concentration Camp Memorial at Torhaus Moringen
Munich - Jewish Museum Munich
Guatemala
Santa Rosita - ASOL Casa Hogar
Hungary
Budapest - European Roma Rights Centre
India
Auroville - Auroville Action Group (AVAG)
Dharamsala - Nishtha - Rural Health, Education and Environment Center
Dharamsala - Tibetan Children´s Village
Dharmshala - Tibetan Welfare Office
Kochi - Mata Amritanandamayi Mission
Israel
Jerusalem - St. Vincent-Ein Kerem
Jerusalem - The Alternative Information Centre
Jerusalem - Yad Vashem
Italy
Milan - Centro di Documentazione Ebraica Contemporanea
Prato - Museo della Deportazione
Rome - Fondazione Museo della Shoah
Japan
Hiroshima - Peace Culture Foundation
Madagascar
Antalaha - D'Analalava
Mexico
Mexico City - Museo Memoria y Tolerancia
Nicaragua
Granada - Casa de los Tres Mundos
Netherlands
Amsterdam - UNITED for Intercultural Action
The main part of the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servant at UNITED is secretarial work, which includes assisting, translating documents, doing self dependent research and investigation, as well as organising internal and external teamwork-projects. The Servant is engaged with organising conferences, administrating databases, publishing reports and preparing future projects.
Pakistan
Lahore - SOS SOS Children's Village Association
Lahore - proLoka Pakistan
Peru
Lima - The information and education centre for the prevention of drug abuse CEDRO
Poland
Kraków -Judaica Foundation - Center For Jewish Culture
Kraków - PAH Polska Akcja Humanitarna
Kraków - Galicia Jewish Museum
Oświęcim - Auschwitz Jewish Center
Russia
Moscow - Russian Research and Educational Holocaust Center
Saint Petersburg - GU SRZ Vera
Sweden
Stockholm - Forum för levande historia
Uppsala - Uppsala Universitet
Uganda
Fort Portal - Mountains of the Moon University
Ukraine
Kiew - Jewish Foundation of Ukraine (JFU)
United Kingdom
London - Royal London Society for the Blind
London - The National Yad Vashem Charitable Trust
London - Institute of Contemporary History and Wiener Library
United States
Detroit - Holocaust Memorial Center
Houston - Holocaust Museum Houston
The HMH was installed to promote understanding, remembrance and education about the Holocaust. The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servants at the HMH usually work at the office, help to create new exhibitions, guiding tours through the museum and meet and work with the last survivors of the Holocaust in the United States.
Los Angeles - Simon Wiesenthal Center
The main part of the work of an Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servant at the Simon Wiesenthal Center is working as a tour guide in the Museum of Tolerance, which is the educational arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. These tour groups are mainly Middle School and High School students from the Los Angeles area, but also from further away. Besides from giving tours, the servant also helps out public visitors to the museum, helps with translations and interacts with Holocaust survivors as well.
Los Angeles - Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust
The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servant at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust serves as tour guide, facilitates seminars and lectures by survivor docents, and works with teachers to schedule and coordinate tours. The volunteer interacts with Holocaust survivors, students, teachers and visitors to the Museum on a daily basis. The servant also works with primary documents and artifacts, which he translates, reviews and interprets.
Los Angeles - USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education
The volunteer at "USC Shoah Foundation Institute" for Visual History and Education translates all types of different documents, from contracts to letters; he also helps to translate German terms or places which often appear in interviews with Holocaust Survivors. A main task for the Holocaust Servant is indexing German testimonies and maintaining the museum's database. Further, he helps the museum organizing different events like discussions or film screenings.
New York - Gay Men's Health Crisis
New York - Museum of Jewish Heritage
At the Museum of Jewish Heritage, which tells the story of Jewish life before, during and after the Holocaust and also hosts galleries for special exhibitions, the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servant works in the Collections & Exhibitions Department, where he is in charge of translating documents and other artifacts into English. Besides he listens to audio testimonies of Holocaust Survivors in either English or German and writes summaries, which are added to the museum's database. Further tasks include maintaining the database, guiding visitors, research and the installation of new exhibits.
New York - Anti-Defamation League
New York - American Jewish Committee
Reno - Center for Holocaust, Genocide & Peace Studies
Richmond - Virginia Holocaust Museum
The Virginia Holocaust Museum features 28 exhibitions including “The Ipson Saga,” which documents the story of Museum Director and Founder, Jay M. Ipson and his family from pre-war Lithuania, through their escape to liberation. The Nuremberg Trials Courtroom exhibition is the only existing replica of the famous courtroom that set the standard for modern international law. The tasks for the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servant are manifold. Duties at the Virginia Holocaust Museum range from giving tours through the permanent exhibit to translations (German-English) to assisting in research or helping at the reception desk among other things.
San Francisco - Holocaust Center of Northern California
St. Petersburg - The Florida Holocaust Museum
Chicago - Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center
The Austrian Holocaust Memorial Servants help in the administration, assist in education, event planning and museum tours. Furthermore, they are responsible for translations between German and English. After having received special training they will also guide groups through the museum.
2004 Stefan Stoev, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington DC, United States
2005 Dr. Andreas Daniel Matt, SOS Children's Villages Lahore, Pakistan
2006 Martin Wallner, Center of Jewish Studies Shanghai, China
2007 Daniel James Schuster, Yad Vashem Jerusalem, Israel
2008 René J. Laglstorfer, Centre de la mémoire d'Oradour, France & Center of Jewish Studies Shanghai, China
2009 Joerg Reitmaier, Auschwitz Jewish Center, Poland & Virginia Holocaust Museum, United States
2010 Peter Loibner, GU SRZ Vera, Russia
2011 Francesco Konigsberger, Federation of Jewish Communities, Czech Republic,
Cornelius Schwärzler, Russian Research and Educational Holocaust Center, Russia & Fondazione Museo della Shoa, Italy & Dokumentation Obersalzberg, Germany,
David Witzeneder, Tropical Field Station La Gamba & Finca Salvador, Costa Rica
In 2006 Andreas Maislinger, chairman of the Austrian Service Abroad, initiated the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Award (AHMA). Winners:
2006: Prof. Pan Guang., Shanghai, PR China.
2007: Alberto Dines, Sao Paulo, Brazil
2008: Robert Hébras, Oradour-sur-Glane, France
2009: Jay M. Ipson, Richmond, Virginia, United States
2010: Eva Marks, Melbourne, Australia
2011: Auschwitz Jewish Center, Oswiecim, Poland
2012: Ladislaus Löb, United Kingdom
2013: Hugo Höllenreiner, Munich, Germany
