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Leopold Königstein (Kingston)

Born: 01-15-1918
Faculty: Medical School | Medical University Vienna
Category: Expelled student
Leopold KOENIGSTEIN (later: Leo KINGSTON), born on January 15th, 1918 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship: Austria), son of Univ.-Prof. Dr. Hans Königstein (1878-1954, university professor, dermatologist), lived in Vienna's 1st district, Georg-Coch-Platz 3, was enrolled finally in the spring term 1938 at the Medical School in the 2nd year of his studies. In 1938, after the takeover of power of National-Socialism he was forced to quit his studies for racist reason and to leave the University of Vienna (Leaving Certificate isssued on May 13th, 1938). His sister Henriette Koenigstein, who studied at the Philosophical School and passed her first Rigorosum in February 1938, was also expelled from the University of Vienna and could not finish her studies. He was able to obtain an entry visa for the U.S. at the U.S. Consulate in Vienna on September 14th, 1938, and emigrated on September 25th, 1938 with the SS Paris from Le Havre/France to the U.S., where he arrived in New York City, NY on October 1st, 1938, and lived for the time being with a friend, Maxwell Lipton, in Long Island, NY (he did not state "student" as his profession when entering the country, but "gymnastic teacher"). He was able to get a scholarship and to continue his medical studies at Pennsylvania State University in State College, Centre, PA/USA from February 1939 to July 1941, then moved to New York, NY in 1941 for a temporary appointment, and joined the U.S. Army there on January 23rd,1942 (Camp Upton, NY) and served until February 20th,1946 (in foreign service from June 1945 to February 1946). He received U. S. citizenship, changing in October 1943 and changed his name to Leo Kingston in the process. He later moved to Pennsylvania, married Doris J. Schambelan and they had two children, Richard Allan (1945) and Jo-Ann (1949) and they lived and worked in Philadelpia, PA. Leo Kingston, née Leopold Koenigstein, died on January 16th, 1993 in the USA.


Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1937-1938; Archives of the Jewish Community Vienna/register of births, marriages and deaths; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 420; www.genteam.at; www.ancestry.de.


Herbert Posch


Nationale of Leopold Königstein, spring termn 1938 (1st form front), Photo: H. Posch (c) Universitätsarchiv Wien

Nationale of Leopold Königstein, spring termn 1938 (1st form front), Photo: H. Posch (c) Universitätsarchiv Wien

Nationale of Leopold Königstein, fall term 1937/38 (1st form front), Photo: H. Posch (c) Universitätsarchiv Wien

Nationale of Leopold Königstein, fall term 1937/38 (1st form front), Photo: H. Posch (c) Universitätsarchiv Wien
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