| Born: | 05-10-1912 |
| Faculty: | Philosophical School |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Gertrud SCHWARCZ (later married BURTON), born on May 10th, 1912 in Vienna/Austro-Hungaria [Austria] (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), daughter of Josef Schwarcz and Marianna Schwarcz, née Popper (1887-19??) and lived in Vienna's 3rd district, Reisnerstrasse 42. She had attended the girls' secondary school in Vienna's 6th district, where she passed her school-leaving examination (Reifepruefung/Matura) on May 22nd, 1931, and subsequently studied zoology at the School of Philosophy of the University of Vienna from the fall term of 1931/32 to the spring term of 1935 ("Absolutorium" was issued from May 22nd, 1937).
She wasn't enrolled at the Philosophical School any more in 1938, but was preparing for the final examinations / viva voce ("Rigorosen"). Since she was persecuted as a Jew under National Socialism, it was initially uncertain after the "Anschluss" whether she would still be able to complete her studies, but after a long delay she was admitted to the final examinations ("Rigorosen") in zoology on July 2nd, 1938, and passed the first viva voce ("Philosophicum") on July 6th, 1938 under professors Eibl and Tumlirz.
Her dissertation "Ueber den Taleostierknochen Babistes capriscus" had been approved by Prof. Marinelli and Prof. Versluys on July 7th, 1938, and she also passed the second "Rigorosum" on July 21st, 1938. On July 21st, 1938, she had also passed the second viva voce examination with both of them as well as with the botanist Prof. Fritz Knoll, the provisional rector of the University of Vienna appointed by the NSDAP. Thus, after a long period of uncertainty, she was able to complete her studies after all, and on the same July 21st, 1938, she received her doctorate, albeit only under numerous symbolic discriminations in the context of a "non-Aryan doctorate", with a simultaneous pronounced ban on her profession in the entire German Reich.
She had to flee Austria and managed to emigrate to Great Britain in the end of 1938 where she was living in Meriden, Warwickshire, England, at the time of the October 1939 census.
In January 1948 she married Wilfred S. B. Burton there.
Gertrude Burton, née Schwarcz, died in Birmingham, England, in December 2000.
Lit.: Archives of the University of Vienne/enrollment forms ("Nationale") PHIL 1931-1938, fnal examination files ("Rigorosenakt") PHIL RA PH 14541, graduation registry ("Promotionsprotokoll") PHIL 1931-1941 No 2850; POSCH 2009, 367; www.myheritage.at; www.genteam.at; www.ancestry.de.
Herbert Posch
