Salo Windschauer

Salo WINDSCHAUER, born on October 28th, 1913 in Stanislau, Galicia/Austro-Hungarian Empire [later: Stanisławów/Poland, today: Iwano-Frankiwsk|Івано-Франківськ/Ukraine] (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of David Windschauer (merchant) and his wife Cecilia, lived in Vienna 9th district, Servitengasse 10/14 until 1941, was enrolled finally in the fall term 1937/38 at the Medical School of the University of Vienna in the 5th year of his studies. After the "Anschluss" he was denied to finish his studies.

Nowadays his nephew David Spegal describes the family situation back in the 1930s:
"My mother [Annie, sister of Salo Windschauer] always looked up to her elder brother and of course him being the first born and a medical student he has the center of the family's love and attention. When Ernest [brother of Salo Windschauer] was born he would stroll the carriage around in the city but blanch whenever someone assumed that Ernest was his son for Salo was a very prim and proper young Viennese and not married yet.  Unfortunately these traits would prevent Salo from contradicting his father who was the patriarch, his word was law, when he most needed to.  My grandfather felt that all this 'political strife' would blow over and if it didn't all he would have to do is go to the embassy, after all the ambassador was a friend of his, and leave Vienna when he wanted to and on his terms.  My mother, to her credit and for her survival contradicted her father and begged Salo to leave with her as soon as they could.  Unfortunately Salo would not listen and would not go against his father.  At least they where able to pay to have Ernest leave the country, but it was too late for Salo, David and Cecilia, the ambassador, of course, never came through."

In 1940 Salo Windschauer married a nurse named Helen Honniger and in January 1941 they moved in with his parents in Vienna 9th district, Müllnergasse 3/11 until his father David Windschauer was deported to Camp Opátow [Poland] in March 1941. Together with his wife and his mother he moved in February 1942 to Müllnergasse 5/14 until they were all deported to Theresienstadt [Terezín/Czech Republic] on October 9th, 1942, where Cecilia and Helen Windschauer perished. Salo Windschauer, who was appointed camp doctor and took medical attendance on the prisoners, was deported to Auschwitz [Oświęcim/Poland] on September 28th, 1944, where he perished by the beginning of 1945.

In 1938 his sister Annie Windschauer, later married Spegal (1919-2006), initially managed to emigrate together with her first husband and their daughter via Germany to France. While she arrived in the USA in 1940, her family did not survive World War II.
Salos brother Ernest Windschauer (born in 1932) emigrated in 1939 and lives in the USA.

Lit.: information from his nephew David Spegal, 2013; Vienna City archive/Historical Central Registration of Viennese inhabitants, November 21st, 2012; USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, University of Southern California, Interview with his sister Annie Spegal; DÖW 2001; www.yadvashem.org [März 2006]; INSTITUT THERESIENSTÄDTER INITIATIVE/DÖW 2005, 437.

Katharina Kniefacz and Herbert Posch