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Heinrich Safirstein

Born: 11-12-1918
Faculty: Medical School | Medical University Vienna
Category: Expelled student

Heinrich (later: Henri) SAFIRSTEIN, born on November 12th, 1918 in Lublin/Poland (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Arnold Safirstein (merchant, candy store in Vienna's 3rd district, Erdbergerstraße 158), lived in Vienna's 3rd district, Würtzlerstrasse 16/24, was last enrolled in the 2nd year of his studies at the School of Medicine in the fall term of 1937/38 (it was validated on February 7th, 1938) and was a member of the Jüdisch-Akademische Verbindung "Makkabäa" in Wien.

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 ("Abgangszeugnis") was issued on April 17th, 1938).

He was forced to flee Vienna in time and was able to emigrate to France, where he remained after the war. In Vienna, his father's sugar business was "Aryanized"/expropriated and Arnold Safirstein was deported to the Maly Trostinec extermination camp near Minsk on May 27th, 1942, where he perished shortly after arriving on June 1st, 1942. He is commemorated today by a memorial stone in Wien-Landstrasse.

Henri (Heinrich) Safirstein died at the age of almost 92 on April 12th, 2010 in the small community of Rue (Somme) in France.


Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1937–1938; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 463; www.steinedesgedenkens.at/; familysearch.org/; information by courtesy of Bernhard Baumgartner, Vienna 06/2023, and Gregor Gatscher-Riedl, 12/2024.


Herbert Posch


Nationale of Heinrich Safirstein, fall term 1937/38 (1st form front), Photo: H. Posch (c) Universitätsarchiv Wien

Nationale of Heinrich Safirstein, fall term 1937/38 (1st form back), Photo: H. Posch (c) Universitätsarchiv Wien
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