Search and Research: Lectures and Papers 39: “Why did you not try to escape?” - BAČKA JEWS IN FORCED LABOR CAMPS IN AUSTRIA, 1944–1945

This study explores the year-long ordeal of approximately 1,000 Jewish women, children, and older individuals deported in May and June 1944 from the region of Bačka to labor camps primarily in Lower Austria. By integrating age as a crucial intersectional category—alongside gender, religious observance, rural or urban background, and other factors—this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted experiences of Jewish-Bačka internees in forced labor camps in Austria. Grounded in Jewish ego-documents, it also reveals how each group navigated social roles, developed coping mechanisms, and interacted within the camps.