Today marks the birthday of Austrian footballer Hans Menasse (1930–2022), born in Vienna to a Jewish father and a Christian mother. Following the Anschluss and the onset of persecution against Jewish citizens, his family attempted to secure travel permits but were unsuccessful. In November 1938, Hans and his older brother Kurt were evacuated to England on the Kindertransport. Placed with a foster family in Dunstable, Hans played football for the local Pioneer Boys Club before joining Luton Town’s youth team (the Luton Town Colts) in 1946.
Against the odds, Menasse’s parents survived seven years of hardship under the Nazi regime, and in 1947 he was reunited with them in Vienna. After spending more than half his life in England, the return was deeply challenging — his homeland felt foreign, and he had to relearn German. At this time, Menasse joined the Jewish community, seeking to give back for the support it had provided before and during the war.
He resumed his football career with First Vienna FC, joining the senior team in 1950. Playing on the right wing, he won the Austrian championship in 1955 and later transferred to Austria Wien. He also represented Austria at international level in 1953 and 1954. As professional football alone could not provide a living at the time, Menasse worked for nearly 50 years as a press officer for U.S. film companies, putting his language skills to good use.
He was the father of acclaimed Austrian writers Robert and Eva Menasse, the latter addressing their family history in her novel Vienna (2005). In later life, Hans Menasse openly shared his experiences of exile, survival, and return — speaking in schools, appearing in the media, and contributing to documentaries and exhibitions. Throughout his life, he maintained a deep connection to England.
