Gottfried Burian

Gottfried BURIAN, born on August 16^th, 1919 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Prim. Dr. Leopold Burian (1885-1954, senior physician and head of the Internal Department and medical director of St. Joseph's Hospital of the Salvatorian Sisters from 1930-1951), lived in Vienna's 19^th district, Hohe Warte 25. He was enrolled in spring term 1938 at the Medical School in the 1^st year of his studies

Because of his father or paternal grandfather, he was considered a "Mischling of the 1st or 2nd degree" and was able to continue his studies - subject to revocation at any time - provisionally until the fall 1939/40 and to take the first medical viva on April 13^th, 1940.

When "Mischlinge" had to apply to the Reich Ministry of Education in Berlin for admission to studies from the 1^st trimester of 1940, he interrupted his studies for the time being and was drafted into military service from April 1940. However, Burian was discharged from the German Wehrmacht again on September 19^th, 1940, due to a heart condition. He then tried to switch from medicine to Italian and English studies to become an interpreter and applied for admission to the Philosophical School at the end of 1941, to be allowed to study there.

According to regulations, the dean of the responsible school, Prof. Viktor Christian, enclosed an expert opinion with the application, which "had to deal in particular with the personal impression of the applicant's personality and appearance. It is to be mentioned whether and to what extent characteristics of the Jewish race are outwardly recognizable in the applicant." [Decree of the Reicherziehungsministerium, January 5^th, 1940]. On December 19^th, 1941, he stated: "The personal impression is favorable, Jewish characteristics are hardly visible physically, since the applicant is only a Mischling first degree according to the law, but according to blood he is a Mischling second degree. Since the applicant is only Mischling I. degree according to law, but Mischling II. degree according to blood, his application is approved". The application was forwarded by the Rectorate in favor, but was rejected by the Reich Ministry of Education in Berlin on February 9, 1942 (WF 100/42), since "according to the legal provisions he is considered a Mischling of the first degree and as a soldier he has not been in action in front of the enemy [...]" and it could only be approved if according to § 7 of the 1^st DfVo to the Reich Citizenship Law it was decided "that he is to be treated as a Mischling of the second degree".

This must obviously have been the case, because in the fall of 1942 Gottfried Burian again submitted an application, this time to continue his medical studies and as a "Mischling 2. Grades". Again, the dean of the responsible faculty, Prof. Eduard Pernkopf, enclosed an expert opinion dated October 28, 1942 with the application and stated: "In appearance, Burian has nothing Jewish about him," mentioning that he had interrupted his studies and had already taken the first viva in 1940. The dean and the rector again forwarded the application for further studies to the Reich Ministry of Education in Berlin. The Ministry returned the application on December 10^th, 1942 (WF 3676/42) "with the request to decide on its own responsibility", since a corresponding possibility had been opened in the meantime by the decree of December 2^nd, 1942.

There is nothing on record about the outcome of the decision; in any case, Gottfried Burian was able to enroll from fall term 1943/44 to spring term 1945 and was finaly in the 5th year of his medical studies but his name is not to be found in the graduation registry of either the School of Medicine or the School of Philosophy between 1945 and 1955.

He lived and worked in Vienna and died in Vienna in October 1989. He is buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery.

Lit.: Archives of the University of Vienna/National MED 1937-1942, Rectorate GZ 944 ex 1939/40/41, MED GZ 1115 ex 1939/40, PHIL GZ 58 ex 1941/42, Rectorate GZ 97/I+II ex 1942/43, 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; TRAGL 2007, 249, 724-726; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 371; find a grave in Vienna.

Herbert Posch