Helga Franziska Höllering (später: Helga Francis Havas)
| Born: |
11-26-1915 |
| Faculty: |
Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: |
Expelled student |
Helga Franziska HOELLERING (later: Helga Francis HAVAS), born on November 26th, 1915 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship: Austria), daughter of
Franz Hoellering (editorial journalist, screenplay author), lived in Viennas 1st district, Zelinkagasse 13. She attended the high school for girls ('Mädchenrealgymnasium') of the 'Verein Döblinger Mädchenmittelschule' in Vienna 19th district, Gymnasiumstrasse 79 (today GRG 19, Billrothgymnasium) and was a member of the "Roten Falken", the youth organization of the Social Democratic Party.
After Franziska Hoellering had graduated from high school, she enrolled at the Medical School of the University of Vienna in 1934. She became member of the 'Verband der Sozialistischen Studenten', which had to work illegally under the Austro-Fascist regime. After she had been arrested, Otto Skbensky, "Kommissaer zur Aufrechterhaltung von Ruhe und Ordnung an den Hochschulen", declared on November 22nd, 1934, that she was banned from enrolment for the academic year 1934/35, because she had already been engaged for a forbidden party when she went to high school ("Ihre Aufnahme (…) für die Dauer des Studienjahres 1934/35 an allen oesterreichischen Hochschulen für unzulaessig", da sie "bereits als Mittelschuelerin Ziele einer mit Betaetigungsverbot belegten Partei gefoerdert" hatte).
Franziska Höllering emigrated to Prague/ Czechoslovakia for several years, where she continued her medical Studies at the German University Prague in 1936. In spring term 1937 she enrolled again at the Medical School of University of Vienna, finally in spring term 1938 in the 3rd year of her studies (Leaving Certificate ('Abgangszeugnis') was issued on June 2nd, 1938). Her last term under the National Socialist regime was not validated due to a lack of attendance. Her father Franz Hoellering who had studied at the Law School of the University of Vienna, was deprived of his academic degree in 1942, with the racist argument, that he as a Jew was not considered dignified an academic degree of a German university ('eines akademischen Grades einer deutschen Hochschule unwuerdig').
She emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1938, later on to France, where she worked as a teacher and finished her biochemical studies with a I.S.S. Fellowhip at the University of Lyon in 1939. She married the physicist Dr. Peter Havas from Vienna, who was also persecuted by the National Socialists. Their daughter was born in France. In 1941 they emigrated to the USA. In 1944 Franziska Hoellering (now: Helga Francis Havas) finished her studies in organical chemistry at the Columbia University, New York (M.A.) and in 1950 her studies in bacteriology at the Lehigh University in Bethlehem/PA (Ph.D.).
Her first professional position was as Research Associate at the Institute for Cancer Research in Fox Chase. In 1959 she accepted a position as Assistant Professor at Temple, where she rose through the ranks to become Professor.
Helga Francis Havas retired in 1984 and died on August 26th, 2004 in Abington in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA.
Lit.: POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 401; BRANDSTETTER 2007, 139; RÖDER 1983, 468; STADLER 2004 [1988], 947, 1079; Peter and Helga Havas Collection am Austrian Heritage Collection am Leo Baeck Institute New York; EBNER/MIKOLETZKY/WIESER 2017, 70.
Herbert Posch
