Fritz (Fred) Leiner

Fritz (Fred) LEINER, born on January 2^nd, 1913 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Abraham Joel Schönberg recte Leiner and Pauline Leiner, née Wasservogel (1889-1958), lived in Vienna's 10^th district, Kolumbusgasse 1/7 and had passed the school leaving examination ("Reifeprüfung/Matura") at the Realgymnasium in Vienna's 4^th district and then started to study medicine at the University of Vienna. In 1935 he interrupted his studies until the spring term of 1937 and continued again from the fall term of 1937/38 onwards, and was last enrolled in the spring term 1938 at the Medical School in the 3^rd year of his studies .

Under National Socialism, after the Anschluss, he was forced to discontinue his studies and leave the University of Vienna for racist reasons (leaving certificate ("Abgangszeugnis") was issued on June 11^th, 1938).

He still attempted to flee Austria on May 18^th, 1938, by applying to the emigration department of the Jewish Cultural Community, but he and his brother Erich (1914-1984) were unable to escape from Vienna in time and were deported to the Dachau concentration camp on May 31^st, 1938 (prisoner numbers 14882 and 15094) and from there transferred to the Buchenwald concentration camp on September 23^rd, 1938 (prisoner numbers 8448 and 9414). On April 14^th, 1939, they were both released and returned to Vienna, where their mother's leather goods business had been expropriated ("Aryanized"), but they both managed to leave quickly for Great Britain. But there they were interned as enemy aliens in Kitchener Camp in Richborough, Sandwich, Kent (Fritz worked there in road construction and his brother Erich as a shoemaker). They were released on June 6^th, 1940, having succeeded in obtaining affidavits and visas for the United States with the help of their mother in Vienna. On June 11^th, 1940, they were able to leave England for the U.S., arriving in New York, NY on June 21^st, 1940. In July 1941 their mother was also able to emigrate from Vienna via Lisbon/Portugal to New York where she lived with her daughter Elizabet Schwager, née Leiner (1920-2002). Fritz and his brother lived initially in Perth Amboy, NJ where Fritz worked in the textile industry (Caddelact Shirt Factory) and later in New York, NY. He became a U.S. citizen on December 10^th, 1945, changing his first name from "Fritz" to "Fred" (at this time he was living with his mother, sister and brother-in-law at 202 W. 107^th str. in New York).
He was never able to continue or complete his medical studies.
On April 5^th, 1948, in Bronx, NY, he married Tess Schiffrin (1909- 1996), an American, daughter of Russian immigrants. In the 1950 census he was living with his wife and parents-in-law at 250 E Gun Hill Road, The Bronx, NY, and was a laundry driver.

Fred (Fritz) LEINER, died on February 25^th, 1976 in Bronx, New York City, NY/USA.

Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1937-1938; Arolsen Archives, Detention Documents Dachau Concentration Camp and Buchenwald Concentration Camp; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 428; www.genteam.at; www.ancestry.de; www.myheritage.at; kind reference from Dr. Ruth Contreras, Vienna 10/2023.

Herbert Posch