!!!Arbeitsdienst

Arbeitsdienst (Labour Service), analogous to the "Freiwilliger 
Arbeitsdienst (Voluntary Labour Service) in the German Reich 
introduced in August 1932 by the government as the "Freiwilliger 
Oesterreichischer Arbeitsdienst" (Voluntary Austrian Labour Service) 
in order to combat youth unemployment. In October 1933 20,000 people 
performed labour service in 240 camps; half of them lived directly in 
the camps. They were employed in large projects (constructing the 
scenic drive up Kahlenberg hill, Reichsbruecke bridge, flood control 
dikes) and wore grey uniforms. In the corporate state, the 
Arbeitsdienst was expanded until 1935, after which it was sharply 
reduced (1937: 4,500 people).

\\
After the Anschluss of Austria to the German Reich, the 
Reichs-Arbeitsdienst, which had been introduced in Germany in 1935 
with a 6-month period of required service, was also made compulsory in 
Austria; after 1939 it was used primarily for auxiliary military 
services; from 1944 the Arbeitsdienst was also used in anti-aircraft 
defence.

!Further reading
V. Pawlowsky, Werksoldaten, Graue Mandln, in: 
Zeitgeschichte 17, 1990; S. Trybek, Der Reichsarbeitsdienst in 
Oesterreich 1938-45, doctoral thesis, Vienna 1992.


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