| Born: | 11-20-1917 |
| Faculty: | Philosophical School |
| Category: | Expelled student |
Erika STERN, born on November 20th, 1917 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), daughter of Walther Stern (Federal Railroad official) and Frieda Stern, née Riedel, lived in Vienna's 9th district, Saeulengasse 16/13. She had passed the school-leaving examination (Matura) on June 15th, 1937 at the Bundesgymnasium in Vienna's 9th district, Wasagasse 10, and began studying at the School of Philosophy of the University of Vienna in the fall term of 1937/38,first attending lectures in history, art history, German Language and psychology, later in chemistry and physics.
She was considered a "Mischling 2. Grades" in terms of National Socialism and was able to continue her studies for the time being - with revocation at any time - but switched from humanities subjects to chemistry in combination with physics in 1938/39. She applied to the Reich Ministry of Education in Berlin in 1940 for permission to continue her studies or to complete her degree, and the head of the institute, Prof. Spaeth, states for this purpose in an expert opinion on March 18th, 1940:
"Stern Erika (3rd year, Mischling II. Gr.) works at the Analytical University Laboratory. She passed the Biltz examination with the calculus "Good" and passed the sample analysis well. She is technically good and works in the quantitative department."
In April 1940, she was approved by the Reich Ministry of Education to continue her studies, but not to graduate as a "PhD". But she was able to take the Diplomchemiker-Vorpruefung on July 1st, 1942, after her practical training at the II Chemical Laboratory. Under the guidance of Privatdozent Friedrich Galinovsky, she completed her diploma thesis "On the Reduction of Lactams" and passed the examination and became Diplomchemiker on March 8th, 1944.
From then on she worked on her dissertation "About Sparteins. Constitution of ring D. On the reduction of cholestenone according to Meerwein-Ponndorf. On the mechanism of hydrogen bromide splitting on the action of collidine on cholesterol dibromide" (supervisors: Prof. Ernst Späth, Prof. Ludwig Ebert) and after the end of National-Socialism she graduated and received her "Dr. phil." (PhD) on December 20th, 1946.
Since she had previously married her former supervisor, the chemist and private lecturer Dr. Friedrich Galinovsky (1908-1957), on August 4th, 1945, already under the name Erika Galinovsky.
Erika Galinovsky, née Stern, died in Vienna in March/April 1996 and is buried at the cemetery in Vienna Rodaun.
Lit: Archives of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms (Nationale) PHIL 1937-1942, PHIL GZ 743 ex 1939/40 No. 11, Rectorate GZ 944 ex 1939/40/41 No. 1, GZ 97/I ex 1944/45 No. 7, final examination files and registry (Rigorosenakt und -protokoll) PHIL 16140, graduation registry (Promotionsprotokoll) PHIL 1941-1956 No. 629; Report of the Rector of the University of Vienna 1945-1947, Vienna 1947; find a grave in Vienna; information courtesy by daughter Dipl-Ing. Brigitte Vollhofer, MA, Vienna 04/2023.
Herbert Posch
