| Born: | 12-01-1900 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled teacher |
Hermann Maximilian STERNBERG, born on December 1st, 1900 in Vienna/Austro-Hungarian Empire, as son of Prof. Dr. Maximilian Sternberg (1863-1934) and Betty Sternberg (née Schweinburg). He was unpaid assistant ("unbesoldeter Hochschulassistent") at the walk-in-clinic for orthopedic surgery (head: Prof. Hass) at the Ist surgical university clinic (head: Prof. Ranzi) at the Medical School of the University of Vienna in 1938.
He had studied medicine at the University of Vienna and graduated there on April 3rd, 1925 and was awarded the academic degree of a "Dr.med.univ." (M.D.). besides to his work at the walk-in-clinic for orthopedic surgery he had his own orthopedic practice in Vienna's 1st district, Mahlerstrasse 9 (until 1939). He was married to Emma Malles (b. 1899) in 1935 in the Vienna temple.
In the aftermath of the "Anschluss" he was fired for racist reason and was forced to leave the universty. His ongoing habilitation procedure was terminated on June 23rd, 1938, with the notice "that your application for admission to the habilitation as a private lecturer has become invalid due to your non-Aryan descent". He had to leave the University of Vienna but was still briefly employed as a "Krankenbehandler" at the Rothschild Hospital of the Jewish Community, after his health insurance contracts were also terminated for racist reasons.
He was forced to flee Vienna and was able to get to Finland via Berlin/Germany (May 1939) and Riga/Latvia (June 1939) and was able to leave Oslo on October 24th, 1939 on the SS Stavangerfjord for the USA, arriving in New York City, NY, in November 1939 and first traveling on to Springfield, Ohio to meet his friend Dr. Joseph A. Link.
He then lived and worked as a physician in New York. In addition to his doctorate, he had earned diplomas from the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and was a member of the New York County Medical Society, the Medical Society of the State of New York, and the American Medical Association.
Hermann M. Sternberg, M.D. deceased aged 73 on April 24th, 1974 in New York City, NY, USA.
Lit.: Archives of the University of Vienna/rectorate GZ 680/I ex 1937/38, GZ 691 ex 1937/38; Austrian State Archive, OeStA/Archive of the Republic, AdR/06-Finances/Relief Fund; REITER-ZATLOUKAL/SAUER 2022; information from Dr. Barbara Sauer, Vienna 11/2018 and 09/2020; NY State J of Med 1974, 1683; www.genteam.at.
Herbert Posch
