Arno Theodor Wantoch
| Born: |
06-30-1913 |
| Faculty: |
Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: |
Expelled student |
Arno Theodor WANTOCH, born on June 30th, 1913 in Darmstadt/Germany (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship: Austria), son of Dr. Karl Wantoch (civil servant, insurance clerk, born on June 8th, 1887 in Vienna, died on July 11th, 1936 in Vienna) and his wife Bettina nee Rabel (born on November 3rd, 1888), lived in Vienna 9th district, Liechtensteinstrasse 90/2/21, together with his parents and his younger brother Otto Heinrich (born on August 3rd, 1914), and his sister Maria Luise (born on December 23rd, 1917).
After he had graduated from high school ('Bundesrealgymnasium') in Vienna 2nd district, he began to study at the Medical School of the University of Vienna in fall term 1931/32.
Wantoch was finally enrolled at the Medical School in spring term 1937 and was preparing for the final exams ('Rigorosen') in 1938. He could finally finish his studies and graduated on July 21st, 1938, but only with the discriminating ceremony of a 'Nichtarierpromotion', which included at the same time that he was banned from his profession.
Some months before, in April 1938, he moved out of the parental home and lived in his own apartment in Vienna 19th district, Doeblinger Hauptstrasse 42/2/3.
In September 1938 Arno Theodor Wantoch married Susanna Eisenberger (correspondent for foreign languages, born on July 28th, 1912 in Trencsin/Czechoslovakia [Slovakia], died on July 6th, 1959 on the Rax mountain/Austria). The couple emigrated to China in November 1938. He became a member of the International Medical Relief Corp (IMRC) of the Chinese Red Cross in Guiyang/China and worked as a physician in the provinces of Kueitschou and Honan, where his wife worked as a nurse of the Red Cross.
In China Arno Theodor Wantoch centracted tuberculosis and died in 1945.
His widow Susanne Wantoch worked as a language teacher at different Universities in Central China until 1946 and returned to Vienna in March 1947, where she worked as a freelance journalist and writer, also as a film critic of the 'Oesterreichische Volksstimme' (newspaper of the Communist Party of Austria).
Lit.: Vienna University Archive: Nationale Medical School 1931-1937; information from Prof. Robert Mamlok, Texas Tech University HSC, Lubbock, Texas/USA, 2014; Vienna City archive/Historical Central Registration of Viennese inhabitants, August 21st, 2014; Manfred MUGRAUER, Helden des Alltags, 2003 [regarding Susanna Wantoch]; find a grave [regarding father Dr. Karl Wantoch]; Video-Presentation by Prof. Robert MAMLOK "Fleas, Flies, and Fascists: Lessons from the International Medical Relief Corps", April 16th, 2014 [Download 178 MB].
Katharina Kniefacz
