| Born: | 02-18-1917 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Paul PRAGER, born on February 18th, 1917 in Przemyśl, Austro-Hugarian Empire [Poland] (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Ing. Maximilian Prager (engineer, 1887-1920) and his wife Ida, née Jamnitz (1889-?, civil servant) - after his father's death his guardian was the stock exchange sal Josef Prager (Vienna's 19th district, Sieveringer Str. 24). Paul Prager lived with his mother in in Vienna's 6th district, Kasernengasse [today: Otto-Bauer-Gasse] 15/15. He was last enrolled in the spring term 1938 at the Medical School in the 3rd year of his studies.
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 issued on May 17th, 1938).
He had to flee Vienna and managed to escape to Great Britain in time, where he was unable to continue his studies for the time being, but worked as a trainee at Excel Vencered Co. in Hackney (London), England, waiting for his visa to the USA. On May 7th, 1940, he was able to emigrate from Southampton, England, on the SS Pennland to the USA, arriving in New York, NY, on May 16th, 1940, with the aim of travelling on to Philadelphia/Pennsylvania.
His mother Ida and his brother Hans (John) Prager (1915-1999) also managed to emigrate to the USA in 1939 - via Zurich/Switzerland and London and Southampton/England respectively.
Paul Prager was able to continue his studies in the USA and obtain a Master's degree at the University of Michigan and later a doctorate at the Medical School of the University of Chicago/IL. He had already applied for U.S. citizenship in 1940 and received it on May 18th, 1946.
Dr. Paul Robert Prager married Lore Ann Seligman (1921-2017), a native of Frankfurt/Germany who emigrated to New Orleans, Louisiana/USA in 1939 via Basel/Switzerland and Rotterdam/Netherlands, in New Jersey, NJ, in 1947 and they moved to Lena, Stephenson/IL, and had four children: Rhonda Lee Mallon (1949), Colleen Galatz, Richard Prager and Kevin Mark Prager (1956-1964).
In 1951, Dr. Paul R. Prager joined the U.S. Army. He lived and worked in various places in Illinois/USA.
Dr. Paul Robert Prager died at the age of 76 on November 26th, 1993 in Olympia Fields, IL/USA and is buried at Evergreen Park in Cook County (Cook), IL/USA.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1937–1938; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 452; www.genteam.at; www.ancestry.de; www.myheritage.at; kind reference from Gerd Gabriel, Vienna 07/2023.
Herbert Posch
