Felix Adalbert Reiss
| Born: |
11-12-1903 |
| Faculty: |
Philosophical School |
| Category: |
Deprivation of academic degree |
Felix Adalbert REISS (born on November 12
th, 1903 in Vienna), had graduated from high school in 1921 in Vienna and enrolled at the Philosophical School at the University of Vienna in fall term 1921/22 until spring term 1926 and took courses in physics and chemisty. He graduated in chemistry on March 25
th, 1927 with the academic degree " Dr. phil. " (dissertation: "
Das Verhalten des Systems hochkonzentrierter Salpetersäure-Stickstofftetroxyd gegen Sauerstoff "). He lived in Vienna's 1
st district, Schauflergasse 2.
On September 19
th, 1928 he married Felicitas Lotte Lebenstein (b. 1905 in Vienna) in the city temple and they moved to Vienna's 1
st district, Liebiggasse 4 and in 1930 their daughter Eva Felicie was born in Vienna.
Under Nazism, Felix Adalbert Reiss was persecuted as a Jew for racist reason and had to flee Vienna. His wife Felicitas Lotte Reiß had already emigrated from LeHavre to the USA with the " Britannia " at the end of October 1937 and had arrived in New York on November 7
th, 1937. He and his daughter Eva Felicie Reiss could only emigrate from Rotterdam to the USA on October 29
th, 1938 with the " SS Nieuw Amsterdam ", and landed in New York on November 4
th, 1938.
He, his wife and daughter were then revoked by the Berlin Ministry of the Interior of German citizenship and were declared stateless with the announcement of the 232
nd list of expatriation (No. 107-109) in the
German Reichsanzeiger No. 169 of July 23
rd, 1941.
In times of Nazism he was also deprived of his academic degree on July 14
th, 1942 with the racist argument, that he as a Jew was not considered dignified an academic degree of a German university (" eines akademischen Grades einer deutschen Hochschule unwuerdig ").
It took 13 years since the deprivation - and a very long time since the end of Nazism - until the regranting of the doctorate took finally place on May 15
th, 1955.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/register and file of final examination ("Rigorosenprotokoll und -akt") PHIL 9281, graduation register ("Promotionsprotokoll") PHIL 1922–1931 Nr. 1222, rectorate GZ 118 ex 1941/42 ONr. 68, GZ 561 ex 1944/45 ONr. 15; Deutscher Reichsanzeiger, Nr. 169, July 23rd, 1941; POSCH 2009, 464; POSCH/STADLER 2005; https://www.libertyellisfoundation.org; www.genteam.at.
Herbert Posch
