Hermann Medak

Born:	04-26-1914
Faculty:	Medical School | Medical University Vienna
Category:	Expelled student

Hermann MEDAK, born on April 26^th, 1914 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship: Austria), son of Ignaz Medak (1883-1967, insurance officer) and Ella Medak (1888-1975), lived in Vienna's 6^th district, Linke Wienzeile 4/II/6, was enrolled finally in the fall term 1937/38 at the Medical School in the 5^th and last year of his studies (fall term 1937/38 was validated on February 7^th, 1938, "Absolutorium" was issued on September 12^th, 1938). 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. His father, Dir. Deputy General Insurance Company Phoenix (Vienna's 9^th district, Alser Platz 3) and member of the Masonic Lodge "Eintracht" (B'nai Brith), had to flee Vienna with his wife in 1938 - the famous coffee house of his parents-in-law Ludwig and Johanna Medak (Medak's Cafe Dobner, Vienna 6^th district, Getreidemarkt 1 at the corner of Naschmarkt and Secession) was "aryanized"/expropriated in 1938 by the Nazi blood order bearer Robert Püringer and Johanna Medak was deported to Theresienstadt and murdered in 1943. Hermann Medak also had to flee Vienna and was able to obtain a visa for the USA in Vienna on February 2^nd and thus emigrated to the USA on March 18^th, 1939 via Southampton, England/Great Britain on the SS Queen Mary, where he arrived in New York City, NY, on March 23^rd, 1939 and immediately applied for naturalization. His first port of call was his cousin Arthur Schwartz, who lived at 211 Central Park West, but soon moved to different places in Ohio and Illinois. He mustered into the US Army on April 16^th, 1940 (he was then living with his mother in Toledo, Lucas, Ohio/USA and working as a lab technician at Flower Hospital there) and enlisted in the US Army from December 20^th, 1943 to September 29^th, 1944 (he was then living in Chicago, Illinois) and became a US citizen on April 18^th, 1944. He was drafted again from February 3^rd, 1951 to April 30^th, 1953 (Korean War). He became a dentist in the USA and also earned a PhD in anatomy. He returned to Vienna in 1973 and completed his medical studies, which he had been forced to abandon there in 1938, with a "Dr.med.univ." after all. In the USA he became Professor of Oral Pathology and Oral Cytology and headed the Department for Oral Diagnosis and Oral Medicine at the College for Dentistry of the University of Illinois. From 1967 to 1986 he was also head of clinical oral pathology there. He worked at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago for over 20 years, also taught at Illinois Masonic Hospital, and published numerous scientific articles and papers, including the "Atlas of Oral Cytology" (U.S. Public Health Service, 1970). He was married to Vivian Hannah Medak, née Fried (1921-2004), an American, and they had four children, Ruth Ellen, Joanne Marie, Susan, and Allan. Hermann Medak died on May 29, 1991 in Lincolnwood, Illinois/USA.

Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") MED 1937-1938; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 436; REITER-ZATLOUKAL/SAUER 2022.

Herbert Posch