Karl Pink

Born:	06-18-1884
Faculty:	Philosophical School
Category:	Expelled teacher

Karl PINK (born on June 18th, 1884 in Vienna, died on August 15th, 1965 in Vienna) was private lecturer ("Privatdozent") for numismatic (antique numismatic) at the Philosophical School of the University of Vienna in 1938. He was persecuted in times of Nazism because of his political orientation lost his position and was forced to eave the university in 1938.
He returned to Austria in 1945. Pink attended secondary school in Meidling, where he graduated in September 1905, and then studied classical philology at the University of Vienna. After passing the teaching qualification exam for Latin, Greek and German, he obtained his doctorate with the dissertation "De Lactanti epitome divinarum institutionum" in 1914. Already in 1910 he had joined the abbey in Wilhering, where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1914. In that same year he completed his probationary year and then taught at the secondary school in Wilhering for seven years. [1] In 1922 he became chaplain[2] as well as worked in pastoral care for the Dioezesan-Verband (diocesan association) in Vienna, and also passed the teaching qualification exam for Catholic religion. Pink became Doctor of Divinity in 1924 and subsequently taught at secondary schools in Vienna’s 9th and 14th districts.[3] After ending his work as chaplain in 1928 he became custodian for antique coins at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (museum of fine arts).[4] He habilitated as private lecturer for antique numismatics in 1933 and held courses at the University of Vienna beginning in the summer semester of 1934 until the “Anschluss”.[5] On April 11th, 1938, Pink requested to be put on leave at the University of Vienna, the reason being that he only had one student and that his health was "shaken".[6] The dean’s office approved the request two days later[7] and he was "struck off the lecturers' list without notification".[8] He also applied for retirement as custodian, which was granted on August 31st, 1938.[9] After the end of the war, Pink reported that he "could not have stayed long as a priest" and furthermore the "supplying of the Ariernachweis (certificate of Aryan descent)" would have been "uncertain".[10] Because he was considered a "Judenstaemmling" (person with Jewish ancestry) in the National Socialist regime, the Nazi authorities did not credit eleven previous years of service toward his pension.[11] There is no documentation on any other scientific work or work of any kind during the years of 1938 until 1945. After the end of the Second World War, already in 1945, he was able to return to his position at the Kunsthistorisches Museum,[12] where he worked until 1949.[13] He also returned to teaching in 1945.[14] Shortly afterwards, in June of 1946, he received the title of associate professor.[15] He continued teaching until the end of the academic year 1953/54.[16] He above all achieved recognition for his comprehensive work "Aufbau der roemischen Muenzpraegung in der Kaiserzeit" and his papers on Celtic coinage.[17]

Lit.: Austrian State Archive/AdR, PA Pink; Archive of the University of Vienna/PH PA 2884, PHIL GZ 659 ex 1937/38; Robert Goebl, Nachruf, in: Die Feierliche Inauguration des Rektors der Wiener Universitaet für das Studienjahr 1965/66, Wien 1966, 75; MUEHLBERGER 1993, 46.

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Andreas Huber (translated by Thomas Rennert)