| Born: | 04-06-1910 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Otto BERNFELD, born on April 6th, 1910 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Ignatz Bernfeld (born on May 30th, 1873 in Nagy) and his wife Stefanie née Graus (born on February, 22nd 1886 in Hunfalu), lived in Vienna's 9th district, Glasergasse 21.
Otto Bernfeld was enrolled finally in the fall term 1937/38 at the Medical School in the 5th year of his studies ('Absolutorium' was certified on November 3rd, 1938). He could finish his studies and graduate on October 31st, 1938, but only with the discriminating ceremony of a 'Nichtarierpromotion', which included at the same time that he was banned from his profession.
He was able to emigrate to Argentinia in May 1939 and settled in Buenos Aires.
His parents, Ignatz and Stefanie Bernfeld, were deported from Hungary to Auschwitz [Oswiecim], where they were murdered.
Otto Bernfeld later became Argentine citizen. On April 24th, 1957, he made an application for compensation at the "Fonds zur Hilfeleistung an politisch Verfolgte, die ihren Wohnsitz und ständigen Aufenthalt im Ausland haben" (Hilfsfonds).
In 1964 he returned to Austria and worked as a physician.
As heirs of the estate of their deceased parents Otto Bernfeld and his sister Berta Weiss née Bernfeld, received a compensatory payment of DM 3,225 each after two court settlements in 1966.
In 1968 he received the Austrian citizenship again. Together with his wife Maria née Brbora (born on September 19th, 1923) he lived in Vienna's 20th district, Engerthstrasse 82/4/4/11.
As a retired physician he made another application at the „Fonds zur Hilfeleistung an politisch Verfolgte (Hilfsfonds)“ on February 22nd, 1977, and addressed a letter to Bundeskanzler Bruno Kreisky with the request for help.
Lit.: POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 361; POSCH 2009, 371; information from Dr.in Barbara Sauer, Wien 2015; Austrian State Archives OeSTA/Archiv der Republik/06-Finanzen/Hilfsfonds; Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance (DÖW): Austrian Victims of the Holocaust [Ignatz Bernfeld, Stefanie Bernfeld]; REITER-ZATLOUKAL/SAUER 2023.
Katharina Kniefacz
