| Born: | 01-17-1903 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Deprivation of academic degree |
Kurt RIEGER, born on January 17th, 1903 in Mödling, Lower Austria, as the son of Obermedizinalrat Dr. Ludwig Rieger (1862–1945) into a family of doctors: his older brother (Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Herwigh Rieger, born 1898) and his sister (Ilse Salzer, née Rieger) were also doctors.
Kurt Rieger graduated from the Medical School of the University of Vienna on January 28th, 1927 with the degree of "Dr. med." (M.D.). In 1927 he was then an assistant doctor at the III Medical University Clinic (head: Prof. Chvostek) and 1928–1930 assistant doctor at the Hygiene Institute of the University of Vienna, 1930–1934 secondary doctor at Mödling Hospital and from December 1933 community doctor in Hinterbrühl (lived at Hinterbrühl Hauptstraße 64).
He had been widowed since 1940 and had a nine-year-old son when his academic degree was revoked on July 2nd, 1942 for so-called political reasons. He had previously been sentenced to two and a half years in prison by the Vienna Regional Criminal Court on April 23rd, 1942 for "crimes under § 1 and § 2 of the Ordinance on Extraordinary Broadcasting Measures of September 1st, 1939" for listening to foreign radio stations ("enemy stations"). His housekeeper had denounced him for listening to the German-language news on the English station Scot-National three times a week in the evenings between February and June 1941. Although Rieger was a member of the NSDAP (application for membership in 1938, admission in 1940, membership number 7.649.719), the NSKK, the DAF and the NSV, he was convicted and imprisoned in the prison in Krems/Stein.
As a legal consequence of the conviction, he lost his doctoral degree in accordance with § 26 StG (declaratory decision of the University of Vienna dated September 1st, 1942) and his medical license on the basis of § 5 of the Reich Medical Code and § 4 of the 1st implementing regulation GBlLdÖ No. 849/39, and was also expelled from the NSDAP.
After the end of National Socialism, he applied for his doctorate and medical license to be restored on February 8th, 1946. The fact that he was a member of the NSDAP played no recognizable negative role in the further proceedings.
On March 30th, 1946, the relevant Senate sub-committee for the revocation/re-awarding of academic degrees decides, on the recommendation of the lawyer Prof. Grassberger, to anticipate the expected positive court decision and to approve the re-awarding of the degree in advance (as offenses under the "Broadcasting Ordinance" were deemed not to have occurred in accordance with § 1b of the Repeal and Discontinuation Act of July 3rd, 1945 StGBl 48). On April 6th, 1946, the Academic Senate decides to formally reaward the degree as soon as the court decision is available. Rieger submitted the court decision of April 27th, 1946 on May 8th and the doctorate was restored to him on May 9th, 1946, or rather the revocation was declared "void from the outset". He was able to collect the original doctor's diploma, which had been taken away after the conviction, from the university again.
He became a community doctor in Hinterbrühl again and remained so until his retirement in 1969, also receiving the title of "Medizinalrat" (Medical Councillor).
He died in Vienna on May 24th, 1974.
Lit.: POSCH 2009, 465; Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollemnt forms ("Nationale") MED 1922–1927, graduation registry ("Promotionsprotokoll") MED 1923–1929 No 1877, Senate S 127.10 (Rectorate GZ 276 ex 1942/43), Senate S 271.1 (=Rectorate RA GZ 252 ex 1945/46); information by courtesy of Dr. Barbara Sauer, Vienna 09/2018; NÖ Ärztechronik 1990, 656.
Herbert Posch
