Anna Maria Haas

The Viennese Anna-Maria Haas helped the Jewish family Josef and Sidonie Rubin-Bittman and supported them over several years during the Second World War. She was married to Benno Haas who, as a Jew, was persecuted under the Nazi-regime.
Anna-Maria Haas lived in the 9th district in the neighborhood of the family Rubin-Bittman. She
knew her and had contact with her. After the family Rubin-Bittman had left their flat in 1939 and had to live
disguised , Anna-Maria decided - as far as it was possible - to help Josef and Sidonie. They often had to change their hiding places. Anna-Maria persistently supplied them with free food.
Sidonie was a relative of Martin Bubers coming from Lemberg. In 1944 Josef and Sidonie hid in a cellar space of a house. Here Sidonie bore her first son Fritz. That year he was the only Jewish child born in Vienna. Anna-Maria visited them often in their hiding place and brought them food, milk and baby food.
Although he was made to live as a disguised under heavy and dangerous conditions, Josef tried to help
Hungarian Jews who had already been selected by the Gestapo for a transport to an extermination camp. He also
began a relief operation for a Jewish child camp in Ferdinandstrasse in the 2nd district. Anna-Maria supplied him
with food and medication for the child camp.
Josef and Sidonie survived the war. and Josef became a successful businessman. Sidonie died in 1968 after long suffering. Josef died on the 25th of April, 1972 at the age of 75 years. Anna-Maria Haas died in 1996 in Vienna.
Anna-Maria Haas was distinguished by Yad Vashem as Righteous among the nations.

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