Crime, Jews and News: Vienna 1890-1914

267 Pages·2012·4.932 MB·English

by  Daniel Mark Vyleta

CRIME, JEWS AND NEWS
AUSTRIAN AND HABSBURG STUDIES
General Editor: Gary B. Cohen, Center for Austrian Studies,
University of Minnesota
Volume 1
Austrian Women in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries:
Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives
Edited by David F. Good, Margarete Grandner, and Mary Jo Maynes
Volume 2
From World War to Waldheim: Culture and Politics in Austria and
the United States
Edited byDavid F. Good and Ruth Wodak
Volume 3
Rethinking Vienna 1900
Edited bySteven Beller
Volume 4
The Great Tradition and Its Legacy: The Evolution of Dramatic and
Musical Theater in Austria and Central Europe
Edited byMichael Cherlin, Halina Filipowicz, and Richard L. Rudolph
Volume 5
Creating the “Other”: Ethnic Conflict and Nationalism in Habsburg
Central Europe
Edited by Nancy M. Wingfield
Volume 6
Constructing Nationalities in East Central Europe
Edited by Pieter M. Judson and Marsha L. Rozenblit
Volume 7
The Environment and Sustainable Development in the New Central
Europe
Edited by Zbigniew Bochniarz and Gary B. Cohen
Volume 8
Crime, News and Jews: Vienna 1895–1914
Daniel M. Vyleta
vyleta-0prelims.qxp 1/5/07 10:12 AM Page iii
C , J N
RIME EWS AND EWS
V 1895–1914
IENNA
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Daniel M. Vyleta
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vyleta-0prelims.qxp:vyleta-ch1 12/9/11 10:58 AM Page iv
First published in 2007 by
Berghahn Books
www.berghahnbooks.com
©2007, 2012 Daniel M. Vyleta
First paperback edition published in 2012
All rights reserved.
Except for the quotation of short passages
for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this book
may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information
storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented,
without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Vyleta, Daniel Mark.
Jews, news and crime : Vienna, 1890-1914 / Daniel Mark Vyleta.
p. cm. -- (Austrian and Habsburg studies ; v. 8)
ISBN: 978-1-84545-181-3 (hbk.) -- ISBN: 978-0-85745-593-2(pbk.)
1. Jewish criminals--Austria--History--19th century. 2. Jewish criminals--Austria--History-
-20th century. 3. Antisemitism in the press--Austria--History--19th century. 4. Antisemitism
in the press--Austria--History--20th century. I. Title. II. Series.
GBA679066 bnb
305.89240436--dc22
2006355560
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Printed in the United States on acid-free paper
ISBN 978-0-85745-593-2 (paperback) ISBN 978-0-85745-594-9 (ebook)
C
ONTENTS
(cid:71)(cid:70)
List of Figures and Tables vii
List of Abbreviations Used in the Endnotes ix
Acknowledgements x
1. Introduction 1
2. Scientific Tales of Criminality: Criminology and Criminalistics 14
3. Jewish Criminals 40
4. Paper Trials 70
5. Jewish Crimes 114
6. The Hilsner Ritual Murder Trials 178
7. Conclusions 218
Bibliography 229
Index 251

L F T
IST OF IGURES AND ABLES
(cid:71)(cid:70)
Figures
4.1 Klein Trial. Collage of images. 79
4.2 Franziska Klein towering over the judge. 80
4.3 The court room as a dramatic space. 81
4.4 Crime scene illustration. Ottoman under which murder victim
was hidden. 82
4.5 Crime scene illustration. Close-up of dismembered body. 82
4.6 Analysis of suicide. 83
4.7 Newspaper floor-plan of crime scene. 84
4.8 Police floor-plan of crime scene. 84
4.9 Kubowski Trial. Study of defendants. 89
4.10 Klein Trial. Expert Witnesses. 97
4.11 Kubowski Trial. Witnesses examine bloody bag. 98
4.12 Kubowski Trial. Study of witnesses. 98
4.13 ‘The robbers of past and present.’ 106
5.1 ‘The women’s favourite.’ 141
5.2 Theodor Beer before the judge. 142
5.3 Theodor Beer, close-up. 143
5.4 ‘Types from the procurer trial.’ 147
5.5 ‘The Secrets of Chinatown.’ 163
5.6 Investigation of the Elsie Siegel murder. 165
6.1 ‘Earned Dishonestly.’ 191
6.2 ‘Comparison.’ 191
6.3 ‘From the upcoming yearly report…’ 195
6.4 ‘In Pisek.’ 197
6.5 ‘The veiled picture in Pisek.’ 198
viii | List of Figures and Tables
Tables
4.1 Publication and circulation data of key Viennese newspapers 74
4.2 Newspaper characteristics (overview) 75
L A U
IST OF BBREVIATIONS SED IN THE
E
NDNOTES
(cid:71)(cid:70)
Archival Sources
ÖS Österreichisches Staatsarchiv, Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv
SaW Stadtarchiv Wien
PaHS Privatarchiv Harald Seyrl (Kriminalmuseum, Wien)
Journals
Archiv Archiv für Criminalanthropologie und Criminalistik
Monatsschrift Monatsschrift für Kriminalpsychologie und Strafrechtsreform
Newspapers
AZ Arbeiter-Zeitung
DV Deutsches Volksblatt
Extrablatt Illustriertes Wiener Extrablatt
Krone Illustrierte Kronenzeitung
NFP Neue Freie Presse
NWT Neues Wiener Tagblatt
ÖK Österreichische Kriminalzeitung
ÖW Österreichische Wochenschrift
OR Ostdeutsche Rundschau
RP Reichspost
RW Reichswehr
WIK Wiener Illustrierte Kriminalzeitung
WT Wiener Tagblatt
All references to newspapers are to the main (morning) editions, unless other-
wise indicated.
All translations are the author’s unless otherwise indicated.