| Born: | 09-28-1914 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Michael ZALKIND, born on September 28th, 1914 in Moscow/Russia (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Wilna/Poland [Vilnius/Lithuania]), was the son of Abraham Zalkind (born in 1880, white-collar employee, merchant and deputy director of the merchants union), and his wife Anna nee Kahn (born in 1884 in Dorpat [Tartu/Estonia]), who were the owners of the Zalkind department store in Wilna.
After he had graduated from high school ('Gymnasium') in Wilna Michael Zalkind began to study medicine at the University of Vienna in fall term 1935/36. During his studies, he lived at different addresses, especially in Vienna 9th district: 1935 in Vienna 8th district, Lammgasse 7/4, 1936 in Vienna 9th district, Waehringer Strasse 66/II, 1937 in Vienna 9th district, Berggasse 20/12 and finally in Vienna 9th district, Tuerkenstrasse 3/21. He was enrolled finally in fall term 1937/38 at the Medical School in the 3rd year of his studies (Leaving Certificate ('Abgangszeugnis') was issued on July 12th, 1938).
After the "Anschluss" in 1938, he returned to Wilna/Poland [Vilnius/Lithuania] and lived there with his parents. His sister (married E. Persitz), who had emigrated to Palestine [Israel], traveled there in late 1938 to try and convince the family to leave Wilna and come to Palestine with her. The parents refused and Michael Zalkind decided to stay with them to assist and take care of them. His sister left Wilna ten days before the city was occupied in June 1941 and returned to Palestine. After the war, she was told by survivors, that her father Abraham Zalkind had been among the first ten Jewish residents of Wilna, who had been executed immediately upon German occupation. Michael Zalkind was initially interned in Wilna ghetto with his mother Anna. According to fellow prisoners he later tried to escape from the transport train, but was discovered and shot. Also his mother was murdered in the Shoah.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1935–1938; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 503; Yad Vashem – The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names, cited there: Testimony sent to the Shoah-Foundation by his sister E. Persitz in July 1955; information from his nephew David Persitz, Gedera/Israel, 2015.
Katharina Kniefacz
