| Born: | 01-08-1889 |
| Faculty: | Philosophical School |
| Category: | Deprivation of academic degree |
Emilie (Emmy) WELLESZ (nee STROSS) (born on 8th, 1889 in Vienna, died on June 13th 1987 in Vienna), had graduated at the Philosophical School at the University of Vienna in Art History on December 9th, 1921 with the academic degree 'Dr. phil.' (dissertation: 'Ghandara im Rahmen vergleichender Kunstforschung', supervisors: Strzygowski/Schlosser).
In July 1938 she was able to emigrate to London/Great Britain together with her husband Egon Wellesz, who became professor at the University of Oxford, and their daughters Magda and Elisabeth.
In 1940 she published the book "Kunst des 12. Jahrhunderts" and in 1960 "Die Wiener Genesis".
In times of Nazism she - like her husband - was deprived of her academic degree on July 22nd, 1943 with the racist argument, that she as a Jew was not considered dignified an academic degree of a German university ('eines akademischen Grades einer deutschen Hochschule unwuerdig').
It took 12 years since the deprivation - and a very long time since the end of Nazism - until the regranting of the doctorate took finally place on May 15th, 1955.
Emmy Wellesz died on June 13th, 1987 in Vienna and was buried with her husband, who had died 13 years before, in a honorary grave in the Central Cemetery.
Her name is mentioned at the monument 'Denkmal für Ausgegrenzte, Emigrierte und Ermordete des Kunsthistorischen Instituts der Universität Wien' at the Campus of the University of Vienna.
Lit.: information from Luise F. Pusch; Memorial/Exhibition "Wiener Kunstgeschichte gesichtet" 2008; photo of the grave of Egon and Emmy Wellesz at the Vienna Central Cemetery; more photos at www.egonwellesz.at
