New Book Presented: Regular Guests at Semmering

Kurier, June 14, 2024

German original: https://kurier.at/chronik/niederoesterreich/neues-buch-praesentiert-stammgaeste-am-semmering/402912472

This was life on the Semmering during the summer holidays: carefree vacation days enjoyed in local costume, personal sports in the alpine air, celebrities, artists and merchants who made the Semmering the center of social life. But for Jews, this carefree atmosphere was increasingly clouded by antisemitism.

The new book "Stammgäste: Jüdinnen und Juden am Semmering" by Danielle Spera aims to shed light on Jewish life in Semmering for the first time. Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner initiated the project and spoke of the "importance of maintaining the Jewish culture of remembrance in Lower Austria."

There used to be many Jewish communities in the province. The author spent a lot of time researching the book in Semmering, she said at the presentation last week. She spoke about many touching, oppressive, but also exciting and joyful moments during the conversations for the book. In terms of content, it begins "in the Middle Ages, then moves on to Jewish influence in railroad and hotel construction, to the villas that were built, to Jewish medicine and sport."

At the presentation, actor Markus Freistätter read three excerpts from the book, which is published by Amalthea Verlag. The presentation was accompanied musically by singer Ethel Merhaut and répétiteur and composer Belush Korenyi.