Walter Quartner

Born:	04-13-1917
Faculty:	Philosophical School
Category:	Expelled student

Walter QUARTNER, born on April 13^th, 1917 in Vienna/Austro-Hungarian Empire (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Amtsrat Wilhelm Quartner (1871-1942, head of the health insurance fund of the Austrian State Printing Company) and Hermine Quartner, née Schneider (1876-1932), lived in Vienna's 16^th district, , Ottakringer Strasse 25/III/21. He had passed his school-leaving examination (Matura) at the Bundesrealgymnasium XVII (Vienna's 17^th district, Kalvarienberggasse 31) on June 14^th, 1935, and in the fall term of 1935/36 began to study history and Romance languages and literature at the Philosophical School of the University of Vienna. He was enrolled in the 3^rd year of his studiey in the spring term of 1938 and took lectures in history and Romance studies, German studies, psychology and art history. His father had converted to Christianity years before his birth in 1907, Walter Quartner was Roman Catholic, but was persecuted under National Socialism for "racial" reasons as a so-called "Mischling 1. Grades". Initially, he was still able to continue his studies after the Anschluss - with revocation at any time - and in the fall of 1938 he performed the required harvest service and joined the German Labor Front and the National Socialist People's Welfare Organization. After successfully completing the obligatory eight terms of study, Absolutorium was issued in July 1939 and he began writing his dissertation on "Lueger's Social Policy" under Prof. Wilhelm Bauer (1877-1953). At the same time, he was called up for military service. He was found fit for military service, but for the time being he was deferred from military service in the German Wehrmacht for one year in order to be able to complete his studies. However, after the beginning of World War II in September 1939, he was drafted for active military service in Silesia from March to May 1940. As "Mischlinge" had to submit a separate application for approval to the Reich Ministry of Education in Berlin from the 1^st trimester of 1940 before each step of study and examination admission, Walter Quartner submitted his application for admission to the final examinations (viva voce), for approval of the submission of the dissertation and for admission to the doctoral examination to obtain the doctorate on October 9^th, 1940. He also had to formulate his career goal after graduation: since his original plan of becoming a teacher of history and French at a secondary school was already no longer possible at this point for "Mischlinge 1. Grades," he stated that he at least wanted to give private lessons in history, German, English, French and German shorthand and submitted a confirmation from his dissertation supervisor about the progress of his work.
The Dean of the responsible Faculty of Philosophy, Prof. Viktor Christian (1885-1963), enclosed with the application on October 12^th, 1940, the obligatory expert opinion on the "personality and appearance of the applicant," in which, according to the decree, "mention [was to be made] whether and to what extent characteristics of the Jewish race are outwardly recognizable in the applicant" (Decree of the Reich Ministry of Education, January 5^th, 1940). Dean Christian confirmed that he had a "thoroughly favorable personal impression" of Wilhelm Quartner in terms of Nazi racial ideas and that he could detect "little that was Jewish". The rectorate forwarded the application to the Reich Ministry of Education in Berlin on October 11^th, 1940. On November 4^th, 1940, all applications from "Mischlinge 1. Grades" for study or examination admissions were rejected, including that of Walter Quartner. He was informed of this on November 26^th, 1940, which forced him to leave the University of Vienna without a degree. He continued to live and work in Vienna, but was never able to complete his studies. In 1987 he was honored for his fifty years of membership in the Association for the History of the City of Vienna. Walter Quartner died on December 20th, 2001 in Vienna and was buried at the Vienna-Hernals cemetery.

Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") PHIL 1935-1940, Rectorate GZ 944 ex 1939/40/41 No. 193a, PHIL GZ 743 ex 1939/40 No. 88; find a grave in Vienna.

Herbert Posch