| Born: | 03-15-1918 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Franz SCHWAB, born on March 15th, 1918 in Vienna/Austro-Hungarian Empire (entitled residency: Vienna, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Franz Schwab (cafetier, 1886-?) and Karoline, née Reif (1863-?), lived in Vienna’s 4th district, Schleifmühlgasse 19/7. He had passed his school-leaving examination (Matura) at the Realgymnasium in Vienna’s 5 th district, Rainergasse, in 1936 and, after a semester at the Vienna University of Technology, had begun to study medicine at the University of Vienna and was enrolled in the 2nd year at the Medical School in the spring term of 1938.
He was Roman Catholic, but was considered a "Mischling 2nd degree" and was initially only able to continue his studies - subject to revocation at any time.
When "Mischlinge" had to submit an application to the Reich Ministry of Education in Berlin for admission to study from the first trimester of 1940, Franz Schwab also submitted an application to continue his studies, to which the dean of the responsible medical faculty, Prof. Eduard Pernkopf, attached the obligatory report, which "had to deal in particular with the personal impression of the applicant's personality and appearance. It must mention whether and to what extent characteristics of the Jewish race are externally recognizable in the applicant." [Decree of the Reich Ministry of Education, January 5, 1940]. On April 26th, Pernkopf noted the following about Schwab: "There is hardly anything Jewish to be seen on the exterior; judging by his past, he seems to have been brought up German".
On May 28th and, due to a formal error, again on June 19th, 1940, the Reich Ministry of Education in Berlin (WF 2541) informed the Rectorate that Franz Schwab's application for possible admission to the examinations and the granting of a license to practice medicine had been forwarded to the responsible Reich Ministry of the Interior and Franz Schwab, like most Jewish "second-degree half-breeds", was admitted to the medical examinations by the Reich Minister of the Interior "subject to the proviso that they do not thereby acquire a claim to the granting of a license to practice medicine. They will receive the license to practice medicine if the subsequent findings, to be made shortly before the decision on the license, show that there are no objections to be raised against the political and moral reliability of the candidates and their families. Accordingly, [...] insofar as they are actually descended from only one Jewish grandparent, [...] they can complete their medical training."
After successfully completing all courses and examinations, Franz Schwab therefore submitted a new application for admission to the doctorate, which was sent via the Dean's Office (June 6th), Rectorate (June 11th), the University Trustee Vienna (June 11th) to the Reich Minister of Education (June 15th, 1942), who granted conditional approval on June 26th, 1942 (WF 1901/42): "There are no objections to the completion of the doctorate as soon as he has received his license as a doctor for the German Reich."
On November 13th, 1942, he was still able to complete his studies according to the old study regulations and was awarded a "Dr. med. univ." doctorate.
He lived and worked as a doctor in Vienna, was licensed as a specialist in ophthalmology in 1950, worked as an assistant at the First University Eye Clinic and opened his own practice in 1954 (first in Vienna’s 8th district, Lenaugasse 17/9, later in Vienna’s 4th district, Brahmsplatz 7/5). He was married to Elisabeth Schwab (1922-1988).
Dr. Franz Schwab died on February 11th, 1979 in Vienna and is buried at the Neustifter Cemetery in Vienna’s 18th district.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms (“Nationale”) MED 1937-1939; graduation registry MED 1941-1949 No. 367, MED GZ 1115 ex 1930/40, MED S 51.1 ONo. 29, RA GZ 944 ex 1939/40/41, MED GZ 10 ex 1941, RA GZ 97/I ex 1942/43, Austrian State Archives OeStA/AdR/02-Unterricht/Kurator d. wiss. Hochsch. Wien (K. 13)/GZ 5201 ex 1940-1943; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 417; REITER-ZATLOUKAL/SAUER 2022; find a grave in Vienna; kind information from Dr. Barbara Sauer, Vienna 06/2024.
Herbert Posch
