Kurt Sgalitzer
| Born: |
04-16-1915 |
| Faculty: |
Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: |
Expelled student |
Kurt SGALITZER, born on April 16th, 1915 in Prague/Czechoslovakia (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Baden/Lower Austria, Citizenship: Austria), was a son of MD Oskar Sgalitzer (1887-1981 in Israel) and his wife Johanna nee Brandl (1892-1972 in Israel). His father worked as a physician and was head and owner of the Sanatorium Esplanade in Baden. The family lived in Baden, Rainergasse 4. During his studies at the University of Vienna Kurt Sgalitzer lived in Viennas' 7th district, Neustiftgasse 19.
He was enrolled finally in the spring term 1938 at the Medical School in the 5th and last year of his studies ('Absolutorium' was certified on July 18th, 1938). In spring term 1938 he could continue his studies at first in the context of the Numerus clausus of Jewish Students but soon he had to flee from Vienna an from the university for racist reason. Also his uncle, the radiologist
ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr.med. Max Sgalitzer (1884-1973) was forced to leave Vienna and was expelled from the university, as well as his dauthers, Kurt Sgalitzers cousins, medical student
Gerda Sgalitzer (born 1913) and art history student
Elizabeth Sgalitzer (1918-2016).
Kurt Sgalitzer joined his family in Prague. After the National-Socialist invasion of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, he fled Prague with his parents and his sister. In Sulina, Romania, he and his family boarded the ship
SS Frossoula, an "illegal transport" and months later they transferred the
SS Tiger Hill, another "illegal transport" in the middle of the Mediterranean, and finally reached Palestine. After immigrating Kurt became associated with
Hebrew University, either as a researcher or in a teaching capacity and still published, e.g. "
Contribution to the Study of the Morphogenesis of the Thyroid Gland", which appeared in 1941. It seem he could not adept to the new situation and he committed suicide on June 30, 1941, only a few years after the family had arrived in Palestine [Israel].
Lit.: geni.com; information from his cousin Nitra Hillyer, USA, September 2018; about his parents Oskar and Johanna Sgalitzer: Jewish History Baden and List "Juden in Niederösterreich" (doc), cited there: Niederösterreichisches Landesarchiv (NÖLA), VerzüJV, Karton 1333.
Katharina Kniefacz, Herbert Posch
