Josef Markus Lille

Josef Markus LILLE, PhD, born on February 19^th, 1902 in Kozlow/Poland (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Kozlow/Poland, citizenship 1938: Poland), son of Moses Lille (unemployed) and Taube Lille (1873-1932), lived in Vienna's 2^nd district, Haidgasse 14/17. He passed his school-leaving examination (Matura) at the Bundesrealgymnasium and Obergymnasium in Klosterneuburg/Lower Austria on September 30^th, 1930 and studied Romance languages and literature at the Philosophical School of the University of Vienna from the fall term of 1930/31 to the spring term of 1934, gaining his doctorate (PhD/Dr.phil.) on July 19^th, 1935 with a dissertation on “Die Spiegelungen der Italienerlebnisse Alfred de Mussets in seinen Dichtungen” (reviewers: Winkler, Ettmayer). He then began to study medicine and was last enrolled in the fall term of 1937/38 at the Medical School in the 2^nd 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 (fall term 1937/38 was validated on June 2^nd, 1938, a leaving certivicate was no more issued).

He had to flee Vienna, as did his sister Ester Harnik, née Lille (she had married Abraham Harnik in Vienna in 1923), with her two children Edith (born 1925) and Harry (born 1926). While his sister and her family were able to escape to the Netherlands, where at least her son was imprisoned and deported from the Westerbork camp to Auschwitz on July 15^th, 1942 and murdered there on August 25th, 1942, while his sister Edith Harnik was presumably able to flee to Gothenburg/Sweden and survived.

Josef M. Lille was also able to emigrate to France in time, where he lived in Billom, Puy de Dôme, Auvergne. But he too was arrested in Paris on December 16^th, 1943 and imprisoned in Compiègne. From there, he was deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar/Germany on January 22^nd, 1944 (arrival January 24^th, 1944, prisoner number 42942) and from there to the Flossenbürg concentration camp (prisoner number 6963) near Hamburg/Germany on February 24^th, 1944. On March 6^th, he was assigned to the Johanngeorgenstadt detachment (a subcamp of Flossenbürg from late 1943 to April 1945). Johanngeorgenstadt was evacuated by train on April 16^th, 1945. Departure in the evening at 8 p.m. to Neu Rolhau (Nova Rola), also a subcamp of Flossenbürg concentration camp, where the transport arrived on April 18^th and the prisoners had to march on to Karlsbad (Carlsbad) on the 19^th. From April 20^th to 25^th, they remained at the Karlsbad train station before the march continued on April 26^th, 1945 via Doubi, Rokov, Bochov, Lubenec, Dolansky, Zilhe and Blatno.

Dr. Josef M. Lille escaped during this march, but was captured again and executed on the spot on April 30^th, 1945.

Lit.: Archives of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") PHIL 1930-1934, MED 1937–1938, final examination registry ("Rigorosenprotokoll") PHIL No. 12230, gerduation registry ("Promotionsprotokoll") PHIL VI (1931-1941) No. 1465; Arolsen Archives 1.1.8.3.68.373 prisoners KZ Flossenbürg, 1.1.5.3.300 344 and 1.1.5.3 ID 5282574 prisoners KZ Buchenwald; Visual History Archive/interview of niece Edith Schyllander on November 4^th, 1997 in Malmö; https://asso-flossenburg.com/deporte/lille-joseph/; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 430; www.ancestry.de; information courtsey Mag. Edith Heller, Vienna 11/2022; biography compiled as part of the course “Methodenworkshop Biografische Methoden” in the spring term of 2025.

Herbert Posch, Peter Soswinski