| Born: | 07-21-1914 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Alfred FÖRSTER (FOERSTER), born on July 21st, 1914 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Simon Förster (1865–1932, salesman) und Regina Förster, née Katz (1875–1939), lived in Vienna's 3rd district, Adamsgasse 25/7, was last enrolled in the spring term 1938 at the Medical School in the 5th and last year of his studies
After the Anschluss in March 1938, he was initially allowed to continue his studies for at least two months in the spring term of 1938 under the 2%-numerus clausus for Jewish students, but was then forced to abandon his studies for good for racist reasons, although he had already completed the first viva and successfully passed parts of the second viva. He had to leave the University of Vienna ("Absolutorium" issued on November 30th, 1938).
He had to flee from Vienna and in May 1938, with the help of the emigration department of the Jewish Community, he tried to emigrate to a country where he could complete his studies and practise and planned to emigrate to British, Dutch or Belgian colonies, where he initially wanted to secure his livelihood with language lessons, child education, laboratory work or farm work in order to be able to complete his studies.
His father had already died in 1932, his then 63-year-old mother and his three brothers Emil (born 1900, bank employee), Otto (born 1902, civil servant) and Dr. Kurt Förster (born 1907, chemist) also tried to flee Vienna at that time, but this was unsuccessful at first. Only his brother Otto was able to emigrate to the British Mandate of Palestine [Israel], to Tel Aviv, his mother died in Vienna in January 1939 and he also tried to escape to Palestine or China in February 1939.
He finally managed to reach Great Britain, but after the outbreak of the Second World War he was sent to the Kitchener Camp, an internment camp in Richborough near Sandwich, Kent, as an enemy alien, from where he was transported on the SS Ettrick to the former British colony of Canada on July 3rd, 1940.
There he was later able to resume his medical studies at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, where he received his doctorate in 1943. He first was on the medical staff of the International Nickel Company of Canada, Sudbury, Ontario, and later lived and worked there as a "family physician". He married Patricia Ann Phillips (1923–2020), who was born in Oakville, Ontario, and they had five children: Larry Foerster (Barbara), Susan Cameron (Sandy), Mark Foerster (Janice), Stephen Foerster (Linda) and Tim Foerster (Laura).
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1937–1938; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 385; www.ancestry.de, www.genteam.at; www.myheritage.at; Queen's review 19/1945, 30; kind reference from his grandson, Dr. Christopher Foerster, 06/2016.
Herbert Posch
