After mounting political pressure, the Philharmonic commissioned a group of independent historians to examine the orchestra’s archives between years 1938-1945. The report reveals that in 1938, 13 musicians were dismissed for either being Jewish or married to Jews, and that by 1942, 60 out of 123 musicians identified with the Nazi party, reflecting a higher percentage [ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21731740 ] of Nazi sympathizers within the organization than among the Austrian population.
The report also explains that the orchestra became an instrument of propaganda for the Nazi party, including its famous New Year’s Day concert. The anti-Jewish sentiment continued after the war as well; only 10 Nazi sympathizers were forced to leave the orchestra after the war ended.
Orchestra Chairman Clemens Hellberg, who the BBC reports [id.] had originally omitted the Philharmonic’s Nazi ties in its history in his 1992 book, “Democracy of Kings,” said the report was “long overdue.”
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