The Role of Family Networks in Holocaust Rescue, 1933–1941: The Case of Australia

Abstract

The article analyses the role family networks in Australia played in Holocaust rescue before and shortly after the outbreak of World War 2. Working with sources from the official archives as well as private documents, I argue that the networks enabled hundreds of Jewish migrants and refugees to escape Europe. Furthermore, they facilitated the arrival of migrants, who otherwise would most likely have been rejected as unsuitable applicants by the Australian government. First, the article analyses the Australian immigration laws before 1941, focusing predominantly on the sponsorship pathway, which allowed Australian residents to apply for the admission of their relatives and friends. In the following parts, the article uses case studies of individual migrants and their families to demonstrate the possibilities but also limitations of the sponsorship program. It concludes that despite the limitations, family networks need to be recognised for their contribution to Holocaust rescue, and this applies also to the case study of Australia, which otherwise was for a long time not considered an ideal destination by Jewish refugees.