| Born: | 09-12-1910 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Kurt PLACEK, born on September 12th, 1910 in Vienna/Austro-Hungarian Empire (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Siegfried Placek (1884-1943, musician) and Marie Placek, née Donath (1886-?), His parents had been divorced since 1931 and he lived with his unemployed mother in Vienna's 2nd district, Alliiertenstrasse 16/16 in a room-kitchen-cabinet apartment and was last enrolled in the fall term 1937/38 at the Medical School in the 3rd year of his studies. He financed his studies with the help of private tuition after his father failed to pay alimony and his mother was dismissed from her job as a correspondent for the chemical products distribution company Simlovici in February 1937 due to illness.
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 (Leaving Certificate ("Abgangszeugnis") was issued on April 11th, 1938).
Kurt Placek had to flee Vienna and had already applied to the emigration office of the Jewish Community Vienna on July 7th, 1938 for assistance in emigrating to the USA, where his brother Fritz/Fred Placek (1912-1995) was already living in New York. He applied not only for himself, but also for his mother Maria Placek, née Donath (born 1886 in Ceravic/Moravia, unemployed employee), his mother's father, his grandfather Markus Donath (born 1860 in Rajez), as well as her brother, his uncle Otto Donath (born 1892 in Vienna, plumber) and his wife Emilie (born 1900 in Terz/NÖ, cook). With the help of the Jewish Community and the Gildemeester campaign, he was able to emigrate on September 24th, 1938 with the SS Volendam from Rotterdam/Netherlands to the USA, where he arrived in New York, NY, on October 3rd, 1938. His mother and grandfather were able to emigrate to the USA via Trieste/Italy on September 14th, 1939, also with the help of the Gildemeester campaign.
He was registered for the U. S. Army in 1940 and lived as a subtenant in Brevard, NC, working as a chemist at Ecusla Paper Corporation. By 1951, now married to Dr. Alice Placek, née Ryser (1926-1982), he was living with his family at 328 W 96th St. in New York City, NY. They had two children (Susan E Placek, 1959) and later lived in Flushing, NY and finally in Jackson Heights, NY/USA.
Kurt Placek died on June 15th, 1975 in Jackson Heights, NY/USA and is buried with his wife, who died in 1983, in Maple Grove Cemetery, NY/USA.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1937–1938; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 449; www.myheritage.at.
Herbert Posch
