| Born: | 02-03-1923 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Elisabeth SUBAL, born on ´February 3rd, 1923 in Vienna (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") in Vienna, citizenship 1938: Austria), daughter of the ophthalmologist Dr. med Franz Subal (1893-1967) and the youth physician Dr. med Mathilde Subal, née Weiss (1887-1939) lived in Vienna's 1st district, Bösendorferstrasse 5. She had successfully passed her school-leaving examination (Matura) in 1941 and wanted to begin her medical studies at the University of Vienna in the spring term of 1941.
She had been Protestant since birth - her parents had converted from Roman Catholicism to Protestantism (Evangelical A.B.) before their marriage - but was persecuted under National Socialism as a "Mischling of the 1st or 2nd degree" (as were her siblings Annemarie Wanko, née Subal (1920–2003) and Franz Karl Subal (1924–1944), who were also studying medicine), as her deceased maternal grandfather, principal of a German factory school in Bosnia and baptized a Roman Catholic in 1885 in Vienna had belonged to the Israelite religious community at birth in 1861.
When the Gausippenamt discovered that her other grandmother was Aryan but "temporarily" married to a Jew, the Gausippenamt considered her to be a "Mischling of the 1st degree". As such, she would not have been able to continue her studies or gain a doctorate and would not have been licensed as a doctor. She therefore submitted an application for permission to study to the Medical Dean's Office on February 19th, 1941 (Dean Prof. Pernkopf stated in his report on February 21st, 1941: "Mischling II. Grades, came to see me at the Dean's Office today. She asked for permission to study medicine, otherwise she would not be accepted into the labor service. There is nothing Jewish about her appearance.") and applied to the Reich Governor's Office in Vienna to be considered only as "Mischling 2nd degree", as three of her grandparents were "racially Aryan". The study permit was approved by the Reich Ministry of Education on April 18th, 1941 (WF 1680) and on April 2nd, 1942 (WF 969) for an initial period of 3 semesters. After the positive decision that she was only to be considered a "Mischling of the 2nd degree", the Reich Ministry of Education finally approved the continuation and completion of her studies on April 5th, 1943. She was last enrolled in the fall term of 1946/47.
Elisabeth Subal was therefore able to obtain her "Dr.med.univ." degree after the end of National Socialism on June 16th, 1948.
She was a clinical assistant physician at the Second University Eye Clinic, was admitted as a specialist in ophthalmology in Vienna after completing her specialist training on August 1st, 1962 and took over her father's practice in Vienna's 1st district, Bösendorferstraßsse 5/9. From December 1965 she was primaria and head of the eye department of the Kaiser-Franz-Josefspital in Vienna's 10th district (today: Klinik Favoriten) and lived and worked as a doctor in Vienna.
Dr. Elisabeth Subal died at the age of 96 in Vienna in April 2019 and is buried in the family grave at the Protestant cemetery in Vienna-Matzleinsdorf.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1941–1947, graduation registry ("Promotionsprotokoll") MED 1941–1949 No 1966, Rectorate GZ 944 ex 1939/40/41, MED GZ 1115 ex 1939/40; RA GZ 97/I ex 1944/45; Austrian State Archives OeStA/AdR/02-Unterricht/Kurator d. wiss. Hochsch. Wien (K. 13)/GZ 5201 ex 1940-1943; Vienna City Archives WStLA/Aerztekammer Wien, K2/1 - Kartei: Aerztinnen und Aerzte (registry physicians); find a grave in Vienna (prot.); information by courtesy of Dr. Barbara Sauer, Vienna 09/2024
Herbert Posch
