Alexander Kallai
| Born: |
08-08-1905 |
| Faculty: |
Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: |
Expelled student |
Alexander KALLAI, born on August 8th, 1905 in Groszwardein/Transylvania in Austro-Hungaria [Oradea/Romania] (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Arad/Transylvania [Romania], citizenship: Romania), ethnicity and mothertongue: Hungarian. He was the son of Maximilian Kallai (letterpress printer in Arad/Transylvania, Romania).
Alexander Kallai graduated in 1924 at "Roman-Catholic High School ["Obergymnasium"] in Arad/Romania and began to study at the medical school of the University of Vienna in fall term 1924/25. Until spring term 1937 he studied with several interruptions – some terms were not validated due to a lack of attendance ("mangels Frequenzbestaetigung").
For a long time he couldn't afford an apartment for his own, but changed very often from flat to flat. Within 14 years he had more than 20 adresses, most of them in the 9th district. In spring 1932 he married Elsa Stadler (born January 4th, 1903 in Vienna). They moved to the 9th district, Althanplatz 5/2/9, where they lived from 1933 to 1937 and then to 9th district, Spittelauer Platz 5a/6 in March 1937.
Alexander Kallai was finally enrolled in fall term 1937/38 at the medical school, after all the years with only 3 of 5 valid years of studies. A leaving certificate ('Abgangszeugnis') was issued on January 4th, 1939.
On May 11th, 1938, Samuel Stadler, the older and unmarried brother of Alexander Kallai's wife Elsa, declared his wish to emigrate together with both his parents, both of his sisters and brothers and their partners (together 11 persons), to any place, preferably USA, Canada or Australia, at the Department of Emigration of the Jewish Community [questionnaire No. 1701].
Alexander Kallai was finally registered in a flat in 15th district, Herklotzgasse 1A for a week in the end of October 1938, together with his wife, with the remark that he was kept in "Lager Arnoldstein" before this date.
Alexander and Elsa Kallai made efforts to emigrate to Palestine [Israel] an registered for a support of their emigration at the emigration-department of the Jewish Community in Vienna [questionnaire (Nr. 17703)], because they neither had the required documents for emigration nor the money to get them. He stated that he was stateless, that he lived in Vienna since 1924 discontinuously, since 1927 continuously and that he speaks German and Hungarian fluently. Besides his medical studies, some tutoring in anatomy and some skills in lithography, he had no other job trainings and did various odd jobs. He wished to emigrate immediately, together with his wife and only to Palestine, and if this would not be possible the land of that’s needed
Only two weeks later, on October 28th, 1938 Elsa and Alex Kallai had been able to get the documents and passport and made an invoice to emigrate to Palestine at the department of emigration at the Jewish Community Vienna but still had no money to finance the journey. Nevertheless they planned to emigrate first to Liberia on October 30th, 1938. On the same day they made an application, to get a little support for the emigration – 40 Reichsmark were granted for their equipment and food.
The files state, that he left Vienna on November 1st 1938 (only a week before the so called "Reichskristallnacht"). Another entry in the records from May 16th, 1939 says, that he left for Palestine about 1 year before.
Lit.: POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 412; Archive of the University od Vienna: enrollment form ("Nationale") MED 1924-1938; Archive of the Jewish Community in Vienna: AW 2589/74, AW 2589/5, AW 2590/105; Vienna City Archive: Historische Meldedaten Anfragebeantwortung B-MEW-302587-2013-2 vom 2. Mai 2013; information from his granddaughter Nina Nir, Israel, 2013.
Herbert Posch
