Austria during the 1930s, 1931-1939
Part II: Franz Schmuttermayer

In late 1935, Muriel was treated at the Innsbruck nerve clinic by neuro-psychotherapist, Dr. Franz Schmuttermayer. There was an immediate connection between the two and it was not long before Muriel was in love. In her diary she wrote (using the French form of Franz's name):

"François -- will it be the same when we meet [again]? Will you be the ardent, passionate François of your letters -- whose every word made me vibrate? Will you make me vibrate? Oh I want us to talk to each other, with time before us, soon -- I want to know just how things are with him -- what he is planning -- how his difficulties are shaping, but above all I want to know if the same thrill will be there for both of us when we are together" [Diary, "London 1935 to Kitzbühel 1936" December 21, 1935, pg. 52].

While she was with Franz, Muriel started to shake off the depression that had caused her so much pain. Although she was still in contact with Debonnaire, she felt less and less affected by her former partner's behavior. In March 1936, Muriel agreed to marry Franz and on September 11th, Muriel became Frau Schmuttermayer.

The family which consisted of Muriel, Franz, Peter and Franz's mother lived all together in Franz's small apartment in Innsbruck. Although head of the clinic, Franz's salary was barely enough for the four of them to live on. Muriel and Franz managed to get by.

An Occupied Austria

Everything changed when in March of 1938, German Nazi troops marched into Austria. In three days they formally occupied the country.

"My God, my God what a day. The whole of Austria has become National Socialists and German troops have entered the town -- aeroplanes flying all day over us. We don't know what to do. One hardly does go out of the house for if one doesn't wave a flag or wear a swastika, one gets molested. And our thoughts for the future are the blackest" [Diary, 1938, March 12, 1938, pg. 96].

Life in Austria was dangerous and Muriel wanted to leave. But since she had married an Austrian man her British passport was no longer valid. She was now an Austrian citizen and could not easily move back to England.

Elsa Sebald

Elsa Sebald, a friend of the Schmuttermayers, played a large role in the end of Muriel's time in Austria.

Elsa was a 40 year old children's portrait painter married to a member of the German Consul. The couple had a fourteen year old son. After the rise of the Nazis party, things became very difficult for Elsa because she was Jewish while her husband was not.

"Moreover, he was an enthusiastic adherent of Hitler. The boy, too, was a fanatic Nazi: he simply refused to accept that he was half-Jewish, and he wanted to repudiate his mother" [Short story and memoir, "Elsa Sebald and the Blue Lovebird", 1972].

One night Elsa came to Muriel's home, extremely distraught. That evening both her husband and son had told her they could no longer take the stigma of living with a Jew. Her husband felt he hadn't been promoted at work because of it and her son said he was despised at school for having a Jewish mother. They wanted her out of their lives immediately.

Promising to help however she could, Muriel insisted Elsa stay with her until they could figure things out. Through her mother's connections, Muriel eventually managed to get Elsa a work visa in England. The next morning Muriel took Elsa to the train station and watched while she got on the Arlsberg Express and escaped to England.

Although now safe in England, Elsa was miserable working as a domestic. She longed for the days before the Nazis when she had a husband and son who loved her. Muriel was sympathetic but could not help Elsa's situation any further. But she still was shocked when her mother called a year later to tell her Elsa had committed suicide.

Muriel later discovered that Elsa's husband had been so sure once Elsa was gone he would rise in the Nazi party. But that didn't happen.

"Things started deteriorating for him seriously; he was given a very minor position in an insignificant town in Czechoslovakia. [Her son], too, was being scorned as a half-Jew, and his aggressive pro-Nazi attitude was often ridiculed. I don't know what finally triggered off the climax: one night Elsa's husband went to his son's room, shot him and then shot himself" [Short story and memoir, "Elsa Sebald and the Blue Lovebird", 1972].

This news hit Elsa very hard. In the end her husband had placed the blame on her because she was Jewish. After receiving the news, Elsa checked herself into a small hotel and took a large over-dose of pills.

"She was found the next morning, lying peacefully on her bed, a photograph of her son in her hand... On the table she had left a letter for me... Shall I ever cease feeling guilty about her?" [Short story and memoir, "Elsa Sebald and the Blue Lovebird", 1972].

Escaping Austria

Back in Austria in late August 1939, Muriel attended a formal party given by her neighbors, a Nazi Colonel and his wife. During the party, many of the German officers received calls for active war duty.

After the party ended, the Colonel went to the Schmuttermayer's to speak directly to Muriel. He urged her to leave for Switzerland immediately taking nothing but a suitcase as if going on a short trip.

"Although you have many friends among us," he said, "none of us will be here in a day or two's time, and couldn't help you, should difficulties arise. The authorities here do know that you are anti-Nazi and that you have even helped Jews escape" [Short story and memoir, "Elsa Sebald and the Blue Lovebird", 1972].

Frightened by this news, Muriel decided to take Peter and flee Austria. But Franz would not join them. He had his mother to look after and he could not leave his position at the clinic and start over in England. He was sure the Nazi invasion would not last.

"When I spoke my fears to Franz, he laughed and said there was absolutely no possibility of Hitler ever succeeding in Austria... I never quite understood how Franz's mentality worked... But I have come to think that he was just incapable of facing facts: he couldn't admit their reality... Even when both his clinics were taken from him and given to members of the Nazi party, he still couldn't really believe that this situation would last" [Short story and memoir, "Elsa Sebald and the Blue Lovebird", 1972].

In the early morning hours on her second wedding anniversary, Muriel took Peter to the train station and quietly stole out of Austria not knowing if she'd ever see Franz again.

"I feel so desolate, so desperate. Nothing but a miracle can stop war now at this stage... No money -- no money at all, or means of earning any, that's the hopeless situation I am in... When I think of Franzl, my heart breaks... I can hardly bear it: my books, my piano -- all my diaries, photographs -- pictures... Rang up Franzl at night -- but worried so I could hardly speak" [Diary, 1938, Sept. 14, 1938, pg. 282].

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