| Born: | 05-10-1915 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Mario ZERKOWITZ (later ZECHNER), born on May 10th, 1915 in Berlin/German Reich (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Dr.med. Dipl.Ing. Oskar Zerkowitz (dentist) and Karoline M. Zerkowitz, née Kirchner, lived 1938 in a fraternity in Vienna's 8th district, Piaristengasse 58, changed in the spring term 1938 in the 5th year of study from the University of Graz back to the University of Vienna and finished his studies at the Medical School.
After the Anschluss in 1938, he was persecuted on racial grounds as a so-called "Mischling 1. Grades", but for the time being - with revocation at any time - he could still continue his studies. On March 1st, 1939, he received the Absolutorium, the confirmation that he had fulfilled all study requirements and could enter the final rigorous examinations (viva voce).
Although, on July 22nd, 1941, after successfully passing all the vivas ("Rigorosen"), he had fulfilled all the requirements under study law for a doctorate - except the requirement of "Aryan" racc -, he was unable to obtain a doctorate under National Socialism, and had to leave the University of Vienna without a degree. Only after the end of National Socialism was he allowed to complete his studies on August 1st, 1945, on the basis of the examinations he had already passed in 1941, and after four lost years he was awarded a "Dr. med. univ"(M.D.) degree.
On January 9th, 1942 his son Rainer Ettl (Johannes) was born in Vienna. In 1949 he lived in Vienna's 8th district, Feldgasse 3/13 and tried to emigrate to the USA with the help of the AJDC Emigration Service Vienna, which he succeeded in doing and he arrived in New York, NY on July 1st, 1950 with the USS General M. W. Black. He later lived and worked as a physician and surgeon in Chicago, IL, where he also married Ann Lee Zercher (b. 1923), a US born nurse, on June 5th, 1954, and took her name.
Dr. Mario Zechner, née Zerkowitz, died on April 28th, 1990 in Chicago, IL/USA.
Lit.: Archives of the University of Vienna//enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1937-1939; graduation registry ("Promotionsprotokoll") MED 1941-1949 No. 1295; REITER-ZATLOUKAL/SAUER 2023; kind reference from Dr. Barbara Sauer, Vienna 05/2023.
Herbert Posch
