Alfred Ceitlin

Alfred CEITLIN, born on June 7^th, 1915 in Vienna (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Max (Morduch) Ceitlin (born 1882, metalware sales Dolejschi & Zeitlin, Vienna's 7^th district, Burggasse 71) and Raske Ceitlin, née Jankelson (1887-1940), lived in Vienna's 9^th district, Pramergasse 8. He had passed his school-leaving examination (Matura) on June 27^th, 1934 at the Bundesrealschule in Vienna's 9^th district and had begun to study at the University of Vienna in the fall term of 1934/35. He was last enrolled in the spring term of 1938 at the Philosophical School in the 4^th and last year of his studies and attended lectures in English and German studies.

He had registered for the final examinations ("Rigorosen") on March 1^st, 1938, and after the "Anschluss" had applied for continued studies for the current spring term of 1938 under the newly listed 2% numerus clausus for Jewish students, but was rejected. He was also no longer admitted to the Rigorosen for racist reasons and was forced to quit his studies shortly before graduation and leave the University of Vienna.

In 1938, after the takeover of power of National-Socialism he she was forced to quit his her studies for racist reason and to leave the University of Vienna.

His father was not able to leave the country until the summer of 1939, but in time to leave via Rotterdam/Netherlands with the SS Statendam to the USA, where he arrived in New York City, NY/USA on August 22^th, 1939 and continued to his cousin Lion Newman in Syracuse, NY. In Syracuse, he applied for U.S. citizenship on November 9^th, 1939, and intensified the attempts to expedite the departure from the U.S. of his wife Raske and son Alfred. In January 1940, a letter from Alfred Ceitlin indicates that he and his mother were still in Vienna and, despite the valid affidavits, did not receive entry visas from the U.S. Consulate in Vienna, as this was subject to ever new requirements.

Finally, both tried to find a way to emigrate via Riga/Lithuania, but became victims of the Shoah in 1940.

Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") PHIL 1934-1938; final examination file & registry ("Rigorosenakt & -protokoll") PHIL 14254; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 371; Austrian State Archives OeStA/AdR/E-uReang/VVSt/VA 42886, OeStA/AdR/E-uReang/FLD 8553; Yad Vashem | Shoah Victims' Names [March 2006], cited there: testimony sent to the Shoah-Foundation by his cousin in May 1999; www.genteam.at, www.ancestry.de.

Herbert Posch