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Rememberance for the Future: New Project Launched by the Foreign Ministry in Partnership with the National Fund

28 Jan 2026

State Secretary Sepp Schellhorn and Managing Director of the National Fund Hannah Lessing at a press conference on the project ‘Remembrance through Dialogue’ on 27 January 2026.

The Austrian Parliament's 2019 decision in to enable descendants of victims of National Socialism to regain Austrian citizenship was a landmark development. Since then, over 40,000 people have placed their trust in Austria and reclaimed part of their identity, thanks in no small part to the dedicated support of Austrian diplomatic missions worldwide.

To anchor the diverse experiences of these “Wiederösterreicherinnen und Wiederösterreicher” – people who have regained the Austrian the citizenship that they or their ancestors were deprived of during the Nazi era – more firmly in the Austrian consciousness, the National Fund of the Republic of Austria has launched a new project in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry: “Remembrance through Dialogue – Voices of the ‘Wiederösterreicherinnen und Wiederösterreicher’ under Section 58c of the Austrian Citizenship Act”. Through academic research and artistic engagement in the context of “remembrance dialogue residencies”, their family histories will be made visible and tangible for all.

“A culture of remembrance means taking responsibility. It means taking responsibility for the present, but above all for the future. The new project by the Foreign Ministry and the National Fund brings this aspiration to life. It transforms remembering into an active contribution against antisemitism and exclusion, and in favour of an open, democratic society,” said State Secretary Sepp Schellhorn.

Hannah M. Lessing, Managing Director of the National Fund, also emphasises the importance of this landmark initiative for the future of remembrance and identity: “Remembrance and dialogue have been fundamental to the National Fund's work for the past 30 years. In many conversations with survivors and their descendants, their special attachment to Austria as their ‘former homeland’ was clearly evident, as was their ambivalence towards it. It is therefore crucial to rebuild relationships torn apart by violence and to reconnect with displaced history – which is exactly what the new project does.”

The focus is on the “Wiederösterreicherinnen und Wiederösterreicher” themselves. To this end, Kathy Henderson, one of the first “Wiederösterreicherinnen” in Great Britain, and Yakov Weisl, who represent the vibrant culture of remembrance, joined the press conference via livestream from Tel Aviv and London. As well as holding citizenship under Section 58c, Henderson and Weisl uniquely connect the past and the future across generations: Marianne Beth, Weisl’s great-grandfather’s sister, was the first female lawyer registered in Austria, and Weisl’s great-grandfather, Wolfgang von Weisl, played a key role in fostering Austrian-Israeli relations after the Second World War.

Both Henderson and Weisl emphasised the relevance and timeliness of the project. “Recalling lost memories is particularly important and allows us to reach out to the past,” said Henderson.

“This project enables the younger generation, who are looking to the future, to build stronger relationships with Austria and forge closer ties,” explained Weisl.

Source: Release of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs dated 27.1.2026