| Born: | 01-06-1914 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Hubert (Friedrich Herbert) Robicsek, born on January 6th, 1914, in Vienna/Austria (entitled to live in Vienna, citizenship 1938: Austria, mother tongue: German, ethnicity: Austria, religion: rom-cath.), son of Dr. med. Karl Robicsek (1879-1966, dentist in Baden and Vienna), and Hermine Robicsek, née Westel (1890-1914), lived in Baden, Josef Hoeflegasse 3 and in Vienna's 1st district, Maysedergasse 5, respectively, began to study medicine at the University of Vienna in 1934 after passing the school-leaving examination (Matura) and was in the 4th year of his studies in the fall term 1937/38.
From January to April 16th, 1938, he was drafted into the Austrian Armed Forces, but was not accepted by the German Armed Forces after the Anschluss because he could not prove the Aryan ancestry of all his grandparents. He did not resume his studies until 1939, when he was able to prove that all four grandparents had been baptized Roman Catholic, and successfully passed the 1st viva voce on July 22nd, 1941. Afterwards it turned out that two of the grandparents had been baptized but were "Jewish" according to Nazi racial criteria, and the Gausippenamt Vienna decided that he had to be considered a "Mischling 1st degree".
Accordingly, Hubert Robicsek had to apply for admission to further studies, but was greatly supported in this by the Dean of the Medical School Prof. Eduard Pernkopf and Rector Prof. Fritz Knoll, who, among other things, inquired at the Reich Ministry of Education (REM) Berlin on October 17th, 1942, whether Robicsek was covered by the exemption regulation of the Reich Ministry of Education (REM) Decree WJ 1170 (b) of 22. The dean emphasized that Robicsek "makes a good impression and there is nothing Jewish about his appearance," and the rector argued that his father, Dr. Karl Robicsek, although a "Mischling", too, had "long ago received permission to practice medicine and especially dentistry in the same way as an Ayrian German, so that it might now seem unreasonable if the son were prevented from continuing and completing his medical studies." Further, the Rector states that he personally inspected and reviewed the relevant receipts of the father's cash medical practice and determined that the father was fully equal to Aryan dentists.
On November 30th, 1942, the REM decided to exceptionally admit Hubert Robicsek to further medical studies but with the explicit remark that as a "Mischling 1st degree" he could neither obtain the doctorate nor the "Bestallung" (license to practice) as a physician.
It was only immediately after the end of Nazi rule that Hubert Robicsek was able to obtain his doctorate on the first doctoral graduation date after the liberation of Vienna on June 8th, 1945, on which many other "Mischlinge" were also awarded their doctorates, in some cases with backdating of the diplomas to the actual date of fulfillment of all academic requirements except the lack of proof of "pure Aryan racial affiliation".
He lived and worked as a physician in Vienna after 1945.
Dr. Hubert Robicsek died on August 14th, 1987 in Vienna and was buried at the Vienna-Hietzing cemetery.
Lit.: Archives of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1934-1944, graduation registry ("Promotionsprotokoll") MED 1941-1949, No. 1259, rectorate GZ 97/I ex 1942/43 No. 96-99a, GZ 97/I ex 1944/45, MED GZ 1115 ex 1939/40 No. 250, 257, 258, 269, GZ US 69 ex 1942-44 No. 2; Austrian State Archives OeStA/AdR/02-Unterricht/Kurator d. wiss. Hochsch. Wien (K. 13)/GZ 5201 ex 1940-1943, REITER-ZATLOUKAL/SAUER 2023.
Herbert Posch
