Elisabeth Spielberg (geb. Werfel)
| Born: |
03-06-1904 |
| Faculty: |
Philosophical School |
| Category: |
Expelled student |
Elisabeth SPIELBERG (nee Werfel), born on March 6th, 1904 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship: Austria), married Dr.med. Ignaz Spielberg (1901-1954, physician) in March 1926, and graduated from highschool ("Bundesrealgymnasium") in Vienna's 8th district) on March 5, 1934 and lived with her husband in Vienna's 16 district, Gablenzgasse 106. Elisabeth Spielberg was enrolled finally in the spring term 1938 at the Philosophical School in the 4th year of her studies and took courses in Psychology and Philosophy.
She registered for the final exams ('Rigorosen') on January 19th, 1938, and passed the first Rigorosum on January 29th, 1938 successfully (in ethnography with Prof. Koppers and Weninger), but then the procedure was interrupted. She could never finish her studies at the University of Vienna.
She was forced to emigrate and could flee to the USA in July 1938, together with her mother Rosa Werfel, her husband and her daughter Ruth Spielberg and they lived in New York. Her husband Dr. Ignaz Spielberg, has had a medical practice in Vienna's 16 district, first in Gablenzgasse 106/5.Stg. later in Herbststraße 101 und was also employed at the "Arbeiter- und Angestellten-Krankenkasse". In the USA he became a doctor at the Veterans Hospital in Sunmount/NY and died on September 12, 1954 in New York.
When she claimed for compensation for her loss of education ("Ausbildungsschaden") at the Austrian "Hilfsfonds" in 1963 she only got compensation as widow of her husband and his loss of profession (Berufsschaden") - which guaranteed a better support. She could never finish her studies after forced migration, became a helping hand for her husband and gave private piano lessons and (in 1924 she had gained a state exam for piano in Vienna's State Academy for Music).
Lit.: information from Mag. Barbara Sauer (Project "Medical Doctors in Austria 1938-1945. Deprivation of Rights, Expulsion, Murder"); Austrian State Archive/Archiv der Republik/06-Finanzen/Hilfsfonds; Archive University of Vienna: PHIL Nationale, PHIL examination protocol ("Rigorosenprotokoll") 14139.
Herbert Posch
