Alice Blau (Adler)
| Born: |
07-31-1913 |
| Faculty: |
Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: |
Expelled student |
Alice BLAU (married ADLER), born on July 31st, 1913 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship: Austria), daughter of Samu/Sandor Blau (1878–1942, locksmith) and Jenni, nee Stiassny, lived in Vienna's 2nd district, Rotensterngasse 22/9. Alice Blau was enrolled finally in the fall term 1937/38 at the Medical School in the 5th and last year of her studies. Although she had finished all her studies ("Absolutorium"/discharge certificate was issued on March 13, 1938), she was not allowed to take the final examinations but was forced to leave the university for racist reason. Her Leaving Certificate ("Abgangszeugnis") was issued on March 13th, 1939.
She succeeded to emigrate to Switzerland in April 1939 and went to Lausanne where she could take the final examinations at the University of Lausanne and graduated there on August 5, 1939 and became Doctor of Medicine, specialized in pediatrics. Then she continued to emigrate to the USA and arrived in New York, NY on the steamship "Rex" on October 15, 1939.
She worked as a doctor when she met Dr. Richard F. Adler (May 6, 1912 Vienna – May 26, 1972 Chicago/IL) in 1943. He was the son of Oscar Adler from Vienna and a graduate from Vienna University (May 8, 1936) who could emigrate from Vienna to the USA, too, after the "Anschluss" in 1940. They married on July 4, 1943 in Cincinnati/OH, and they became a medical working couple and in the early 1940s they had their offices in the Jane Cook Hospital and lves in Frenchburg/Kentucky. Their story is revealed, in part, in an RKO Radio Pictures "short subject" film from the series "This is America" made in 1943 (soon after they met and married), and it was released in 1944 ("The new Americans", you can watch the 2-minute segment that deals with Alice and Richard Adler in Frenchburg
here or the whole film
here).
After the war ended, both went to Chicago/IL where they lived and worked and raised three sons, Peter, Thomas and Robert. In 1946 the were naturalized and became US-citizens.
Alice Blau Adler deceased on March 19, 1973 in Chicago, IL, nearly 60 years old and a year after her husband.
In 2015, Tom Adler composed the song "The old Country Doctor" which he now performs frequently (you can listen to it
here)
Lit.: information from Dr. Ilsemarie Walter, Vienna 09/2017 and from her son Dr. Thomas Adler, USA 12/2017; https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Alice_Blau_(1).
Herbert Posch
