| Born: | 08-03-1902 |
| Faculty: | Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Otto KRONFELD, born on August 3rd, 1902 in Purkersdorf/Lower Austria (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Adolf Kronfeld (physician, 1861-1938), lived in Vienna's 9th district, Porzellangasse 22 and graduated with distinction from Staatsgymnasium Wien IX, (Wien 9, Wasagasse 10), in July 1920. He then began studying mathematics and physics at the Philosophical School in the fall term of 1920/21 and also began working part-time in the chemical industry. Changing to a fulltime job in the chemical pharmaceutical industry and the death of his dissertation supervisor, Prof. Hans Hahn, meant that he only completed his studies with an "Absolutorium", but without completing his dissertation and graduation.
After 16 years in the chemical industry his professional career ended in 1937 with the termination of his contract due to racist connotations, whereupon he began studying medicine at the University of Vienna in the fall term of 1937/38. In the spring term of 1938, he was enrolled at the Medical School in the 1st year of his studies.
In 1937 he has lost his job as officer with statutory authority ("Prokurist") in the scientific-pharmaceutical department of Vedepha, the representative office of "BAYER"/IG Farbenindustrie AG (Leverkusen/Germany) for Austria (Vienna's 1st district, Biberstrasse 15) for racist reasons, and also could not complete his medical studies, which he had begun as a substitute, because he was considered "Mischling 2. Grades" and was therefore only able to continue his studies provisionally - subject to revocation at any time.
In July 1942, although he had completed his medical studies with all the necessary examinations, as a "Mischling" he was neither admitted to a doctorate nor to the medical profession. He was only able to gain unpaid or underpaid professional experience: from August 1942 to February 1943 as an unpaid guest doctor at the II Medical University Clinic (director: Prof. Nikolaus Jagić), then as a "healing assistant" at the Cottage Sanatorium and from October 1943 to May 1944 again as an unpaid guest doctor, this time at the I Medical University Clinic (director: Prof. Hans Eppinger). From June 1944 to the end of April 1945, he was conscripted into military service as a nurse and "medical assistant" in the barracks department for foreign workers in the Wilhelminenspital, in Vienna's 16th district.
Only after the end of National Socialism was he awarded his doctorate on June 8th, 1945, whereby the doctoral diploma was backdated to July 27th, 1942, i.e. the day on which he had completed his last examination and had not received his doctorate at the time only because of his Jewish ancestry.
He was married to Elisabeth Kronfeld (née Seiler, 1915-2005) and immediately opened a practice as a general practitioner after the war (Vienna's 9th district, Porzellangasse 22) and was also an assistant at the I Medical University Clinic (headed by Prof. Ernst Lauda) from at least 1948 to 1951 and later a doctor at the Strohgasse Outpatient Clinic (retired in 1968) and a consultant internist at the Psychiatric University Clinic (until 1978).
He deceased on March 5th, 1984 in Vienna.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1937-1939, graduation registry ("Promotionsprotokoll") MED XIV (1941-1949), Nr. 1244, MED S 51.1, MED S 51.2, MED GZ 1115 ex 1939/40, Rectorate GZ 944 ex 1939/40/41; Vienna City Archive/OF; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 424; information from Dr. Barbara Sauer, Vienna 06/2019; REITER-ZATLOUKAL/SAUER 2024.
Herbert Posch
