| Born: | 09-14-1915 |
| Faculty: | Philosophical School |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Elisabeth LAIZNER, born on September 14th, 1915 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency (“heimatberechtigt”) for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), daughter of Dr. Moriz Laizner (President of the Provincial Government, 1872-1930) and Henriette Laizner, née Lehmann (1877-1970, left the IKG Vienna on June 3rd, 1914, lived in Vienna’s 1st district, Lichtenfelsgasse 7. She had passed her school-leaving examination (Matura) on June 18th, 1934 at the girls' grammar school of the Verein für erweiterte Frauenbildung in Vienna’s 6th district, Rahlgasse 4, and studied classical archaeology at the Philosophical School of the University of Vienna from the fall term of 1934/35. She was last enrolled at the Philosophical School in the 4th year of her studies in the spring term of 1938 and attended lectures in art history, ancient history and oriental studies.
She was Roman Catholic, but under National Socialism she was considered a “Mischling 1. Grades” and was able to continue her studies for the time being - subject to revocation at any time (Absolutorium was issued on July 2nd, 1938).
Laizner worked in London/England in 1937/38 in preparation for the work on the originals in the British Museum there and returned to Vienna in 1938, shortly before the "Anschluss" of Austria. She finisherd her theses and registered for the final examinations ("Rigorosen") in Classical Archaeology with a minor in Ancient History on March 15th, 1939. Her dissertation: "Die Parthenon-Südmetopen" (reviewers: Praschniker, Keil) was approved on March 26th, 1939. On April 15th, 1939, she passed the two-hour viva (examiners: Praschniker, Keil, Egger) and on April 29th, 1939, she also passed the “one-hour viva” or “Philosophicum” (examiners: Eibl, Kainz). On May 3rd, 1939, she was awarded her "Dr. phil." doctorate. This was the only junior academic work that dealt with Praschniker's main academic topic, the Parthenon.
She was forced to leave Vienna and emigrated soon after her graduation in a first step to Switzerland (French speaking part) and further on to France where she became a private tutor of German for university students. After the German Wehrmacht occupied France she emigrated, with a short stay in Portugal, to the USA. Her brother Franz Laizner has emigrated already in 1938 but her mother Henriette stayed in Vienna and was deported from there to the Ghetto Theresienstadt [Terezín] on February 25th, 1942, but survived the camp and returned to Vienna after 1945 (in 2017 a memorial stone was placed in Vienna's 1st district, Lichtenfelsgasse 17 for her, her sister who was murdered in Minsk and for 13 other Jews who were deported from the house and murdered).
In New York City Elisabeth Laizner was a jack-of-all trades and hold all kinds of positions from a nurse maid to a textilepainter and a tutor. She became an American citizen on June 28th 1954 in New York. In 1961 she started at Bennett College for Women in Greensboro as a foreign language teacher (German, French) and from 1966 on in the same position at Shaw University in Greensboro for over thirty years. She retired in the age of 83 in 1998. She was also very active in the human rights movement against racial segregation. Active in the Congress of Racial Equality (C.O.R.E) she helped organizing the march on Washington in 1963 and went to jail four times for her fighting for human rights. One of her fellow campaigners said:
"She had a real sense of what the movement was about, based on the fact she was a refugee from Austria during the Nazi campaign. There was a strong sense of justice with her, and a commitment to the cause of civil rights."
Dr. Elisabeth Laizner died on January 28th, 2004 at the age of 88 in Greensboro, Guilford County, NC/USA and was buried in her parents' grave in Vienna-Hietzing.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("National") PHIL 1937-1938, final examination file and registry ("Rigorosenakt und -protokoll") PHIL No. 14940, graduation registry ("Promotionsprotokoll") PHIL (1931-1941) No. 3082; Gudrun WLACH, Camillo Praschniker (1884–1949). Wiedergewinnung aus der Zerstörung, in: K. Hruza (ed.), Österreichische Historiker 1900–1945 vol. 3, 2016, 48 f. with Annot. 268; Georg GAUGUSCH, Wer einmal war: das jüdische Großbürgertum Wiens 1800–1938. L–R, Vienna 2016, 2862; memorial stone for mother Henriette Laizner 2017; www.geni.com; Bennett College Faculty Profile Dr. Elisabeth Laizner, in: The Bennett Banner, December 1963, p. 3; Obituary of Bruce Siceloff in: The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), February 3rd, 2004, B7; information by courtesy of Dr. Gudrun Wlach, Vienna 12/2024.
Herbert Posch
