Hans Pisker
| Born: |
06-12-1917 |
| Faculty: |
Philosophical School |
| Category: |
Expelled student |
Hans PISKER, born on June 12th, 1917 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Schaffa [Šafov] near Znojmo/Czechoslovakia, Citizenship: Czechoslovakia), as son of the operasinger Margarethe Pisker, deceased in 1931, lived with his grandmother Marie Pisker in Vienna's 9
th district, Mosergasse 8, was enrolled from fall term 1935 till finally in fall term 1937/38 at the Philosophical School in the 3
rd year of his studies and took courses in Chemistry. He also attended the graphical school (Graphische Lehranstalt) in Vienna. As a waterpolo player and swimmer he was an active member of the Jewish sportsclub Hakoah in Vienna.
In 1938, after the takeover of power of National-Socialism he was forced to quit his studies for racist reason and to leave the University of Vienna.
In 1938 he emigrated to Belgium and became assistant to professor
Friedrich Feigl at the University of Ghent, who also forced the University of Vienna in 1938 and then taught as a professor of Chemistry in Ghent.
When the German army occupied Belgium in May 1940, Hans Pisker fled to Paris, where he enlisted in the Czech army. In an army truck he drove to Bordeaux, where some English coal ships took them to England. He re-commenced his studies at Birkbeck College, University of London, where he obtained the degree of BsC. He was released from the army to work as a chemist for British War Work. In London he had married his Viennese childhood friend and fellow Hakoah swimmer Annemarie Pick in 1941 (Anne Pisker was one of the swimmers portrayed in the 2004 film "Watermark"), who emigrated from Vienna to England in 1938, too, and in 1960 they had a son, Andrew Pisker. 1965 the couple got divorced, Hans Pisker remarried and in 1970 he migrated with his second wife and their child to Australia.
Hans Pisker died in June 1988 in Australia.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") PHIL 1937-1938; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 449; information of his widow Anne Pisker, London 03/2010; Visual history Archive, interview Anne Pisker 1997 (testimonyID=27700).
Herbert Posch
