Margarete Andics-Karikas

Born:	12-11-1900
Faculty:	Philosophical School
Category:	Deprivation of academic degree

Margarete ANDICS-KARIKAS (born on December 11th, 1900 in Budapest/Hungary), had started her studies in philosophy, psychology and logics at the University of Berlin and continued them at the Philosophical School of the University of Vienna from 1921 on (with interruptions). She also studied at the Medical School. From 1929 on she worked at the Psychological Department under the supervision of Karl Buehler und Charlotte Buehler and became a member of the Association of applied psychology and psychology ("Verein fuer angewandte Psychopathologie und Psychologie") and of the Association of psychiatry and neurology ("Vereins fuer Psychiatrie und Neurologie") in 1931. She graduated at the Philosophical School of the University of Vienna in Psychology/Philosophy on July 19th, 1935 with the academic degree 'Dr. phil.' (dissertation: 'Die sinngebenden Lebenswerte. Auf Grund von Gespraechen mit geretteten Selbstmoerdern.').
Based on her dissertation and supplemented by additional studies the individual psychologist Andics-Karikas published her work "Ueber Sinn und Sinnlosigkeit des Lebens" in 1938.
As a basis for a qualitative analysis she evaluated data of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, of the connected advisory service of psychological hygiene ("Beratungsstelle für Psychische Hygiene"), of the "Klinik Mattauschek", of the marriage guidance centre ("Eheberatungsstelle") of the City of Vienna and of the advisory service for suicidal persons ("Lebensmuedenstelle") of the Ethical Society ("Ethische Gemeinde"). She also worked as a psychological counsellor and interviewed patients. She referred to Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology, identified and analysed various motives for a suicide attempt and also considered gender differences.

In times of Nazism Margarete Andics-Karikas engaged in resistance against fascism and was condemned to death because of treason against the nation ("Landesverrat") in Berlin in 1942. The penalty was later reduced to 12 years in prison, where she composed poems about the capture, the condemnation and the imprisonment.
She was deprived of her academic degree on February 2nd, 1943 with the racist argument, that she as a Jew was not considered dignified an academic degree of a German university ('eines akademischen Grades einer deutschen Hochschule unwuerdig').  

In May 1945 Andics-Karikas was released from prison and returned to Vienna.
When she asked for a copy of her diploma in 1951 - she lived in Paris/France at that time - it was neglected due of the deprivation in 1943 (the deprivation had the remark "secret", but the file itself was no more to find). She insisted on the copy and so, after 8 years since the deprivation the regranting of the doctorate took finally place on February 20th, 1951 and she got a copy of her diploma without a remark on the deprivation.


Lit.: KEINTZEL/KOROTIN 2002, 15-17.