Richard Lederer

Born:	06-11-1885
Faculty:	Medical School | Medical University Vienna
Category:	Expelled teacher

Richard LEDERER (born on June 11^th, 1885 in Karlsbad, Bohemia/Austro-Hungarian Empire [Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic]) son of Gustav (1844-1917) and Rosa (née Mayer, 1861-1940) Lederer was 1938 lecturer ('Privatdozent') for pediatrics at the Medical School of the University of Vienna since 1923. He was persecuted in times of Nazism for racist reason as a Jew lost his position and was forced to leave the university on April 22^nd, 1938. He had graduated from Vienna University on November 28^th, 1908 (converted from mosaic to roman-catholic faith before graduation), habilitated in 1923 and became lecturer for pediatrics ("Privatdozent für Kinderheilkunde"). He worked as an assistant at the child-clinic in Strasbourg/France and at the Kaiser Franz Joseph Hospital in Vienna and was head of the child-ambulatory IX of the Vienna district health insurance fund ("Bezirkskrankenkasse") and had a practice in Vienna's 9^th district, Alser Strasse 18, near the general hospital.
He published many scientific books and articles like "Pediatrics" (Berlin 1924) or “The Nutrition of Infants by the Breast” (Vienna 1926), and at least the article "A new form of acute haemolytic anaemia, 'Baghdad spring anaemia'" (Baghdad 1941). Richard Lederer had married Elsa Schornstein, MD, on May 6^th, 1914 in a civil marriage unaffiliated with any religion (born April 21^th, 1881 in Neusandez, Galicia/Austro-Hungaria [Nowy Sącz/Poland], died 1965 in England), who graduated in medicine at the University of Cracow in 1910 and they had a daughter, Maria. He emigrated to Baghdad in Iraq in 1938. His daughter Maria (later married Hull) and his wife Dr. Elsa Lederer (died 1965) fled to England in 1939 and later lived in Watchfield Court, Sutton Court Road, London W4.
According to his daughter Maria Hull (née Lederer), Richard Lederer had moved to Baghdad as he was appointed private pediatrician to the son and heir of the haschemitic king of Iraq Ghazi I (died 1939), Faisal, who became king Faisal II in the age of 4 years in 1939 (murdererd in 1958). Richard Lederer became a professor at the Childrens' Hospital, Royal College of Medicine, Baghdad, Iraq and he was an extremely accomplished pianist and liked to read music scores the way other people read books. After finding a new form of acute haemolytic anaemia and suggesting the name "Baghdad spring anaemia" he contracted an incurable skin disease and died in 1941.

Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/graduation registry ("Promotionsprotokoll") MED, personnel roster Universit of Vienna 1937/38, 40, rectorate GZ 680 ex 1937/38, GZ 1097 ex 1937/38; MERINSKY 1980, 134-135; MÜHLBERGER 1993, 26; UB MedUni Wien/van Swieten Blog; AJR Journal 2011, May, August and September; KAGAN 1952; I. FISCHER 1932/33/II; BLUMESBERGER 2002, 802; STAUDACHER 2009, 357; REITER-ZATLOUKAL/SAUER 2022; information from granddaughter Cathy Jacquet (née Hull), GB 05/2020.

Herbert Posch