| Born: | 02-16-1893 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled teacher |
Grete SICHER, born on February 16th, 1893 in Vienna/Austria (entitled to reside in Vienna, citizenship 1938: Austria) was employed in 1938 as a research assistant at the Medical Faculty of the University of Vienna/University Clinic for Syphilidology and Dermatology (Head: Prof. Wilhelm Kerl).
Grete Sicher was born in Vienna in 1893 as the daughter of Isak/Ignatz Sicher (merchant) and Johanna Sicher, née Frommer (1863-?).
She studied music after secondary school, but then passed her school-leaving examination ("Matura") at the girls' grammar school in Vienna's 3rd district in 1919 and then enrolled at the Philosophical School at the University of Vienna to study chemistry.
She lived in Vienna's 9th district, Berggasse 11 and on July 8th, 1925 applied for admission to the viva voce ("Rigorosen") in chemistry with a minor in physics and submitted her dissertation for assessment. After the approval of her dissertation on September 20th, 1925, she passed the two-hour rigorosum with the examiners Späth, Wegscheider and Jäger on November 25th, 1925, and the one-hour rigorosum ("Philosophicum") with the examiners Gomperz and Moritz Schlick on December 19th, 1925. She was able to graduate on December 22th, 1925 with her dissertation: "Contributions to the knowledge of the relationship between atomic grouping and specific affinity. On the copper-affine activity of the NOH group" (Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Beziehungen zwischen Atomgruppierung und (5.)" (supervisors: Späth and Wegscheider) and graduated as PhD ("Dr.phil.").
In 1928 she was employed as a research assistant at the Medical School of the University of Vienna/University Clinic for Syphilidology and Dermatology (Head: Prof. Wilhelm Kerl) where she published together with the dermatologist Erich Urbach (including "Beiträge zu einer physiologischen und pathologischen Chemie der Haut. III. communication. Der Zuckergehalt der Haut unter physiologischen und pathologischen Bedingungen", in: Archiv für Dermatologie (1928) 157: 160-182 and "Zum Problem des isolierten hohen Hautzuckers bzw. Hautdiabetes", in: Klinische Wochenschrift (1937) 16: 452-456).
Under National Socialism, she was dismissed from the University of Vienna in 1938 for racist reasons.
Her older brother, the dentist tit.ao.Prof.Dr.med. Harry Sicher (1889-1974) was also dismissed under National Socialism for racist reasons and lost his venia legendi.
She was able to emigrate with her brother and his wife to London/Great Britain in July 1938, and from there emigrated to the USA, where she arrived in New York, NY, on November 23rd, 1938 with the SS American Shipper and applied for US citizenship in 1939 (which she received on April 11th, 1944). She was living as a subtenant at 142 E. 115th St., corner of Riverside Drive (Heathcote Hall Apartments) in Manhattan, New York, NY when the US census was taken in April 1940 and stated that she was working in a hospital as a chemist.
In 1941 she published together with Rudolf Leuchtenberger "Eingeweideschäden nach einer einmaligen subcutanen Injektion von Benzpyren bei Mäusen", in: Archive of Pathology 31. 189-203. She was a member of the American Chemical Society.
Dr. Grete Sicher died on May 6th, 1956 in NY/USA and is buried in Hartsdale, Greenburgh, Westchester, NY.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/Dissertationsverzeichnis 1872-1933, No. 1799, final examination registry and file ("Rigorosenakt und -protokoll") PHIL No. 9025, graduation registry ("Promotionsprotokoll") PHIL (1922-1931), Rectorate GZ 730 ex 1937/38 No 4, 10, 11, GZ 677 ex 1937/38 No 62; DOeW: 6802b; Timo SCHUNCK & Dominik GROSS, From Nazi victim to honored scientist: The two lives of Jewish anatomist Harry Sicher (1889–1974), in: Annals of Anatomy, 235 (2021) 151667; Rudolf Werner SOUKUP & Sarah Julia ZACHL, "Fräulein Doktor". Lebenswege von Chemikerinnen, die zwischen 1902 und 1933 an der Universität Wien dissertierten Biografische und bibliografische Daten sowie eine kollektiv-biographische Analyse, Version 1. 7. 2021, 210; Brigitte BISCHOF, Chemikerinnen an der Universität Wien, in: Susanne Blumesberger, Christine Kanzler & Karin Nusko (eds.), Mehr als nur Lebensgeschichten. 15 Jahre biografiA. Eine Festschrift für Ilse Korotin, Vienna 2014. 27-58; www.geni.com; www.myheritage.at; www.familysearch.org.
Herbert Posch
