Ernst Pulgram

Ernst PULGRAM, born on September 18th, 1915 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship: Austria), died on August 17th, 2005 in Ireland, son of Sigmund Pulgram (tailor), lived in Wien 2, Hollandstraße 18. He was enrolled finally in the spring term 1938 at the Philosophical School in the 4th year of his studies and took courses in Romance languages and literature Studies, Classical Philology and Art History. He had registered for the final exams ('Rigorosen') on January 26th, 1938 and passed the first Rigorosum on March 5th, 1938 and could continue his studies in the context of the Numerus clausus of Jewish Students until the end of the spring term 1938, but after the 'Anschluss' he was no more allowed to take the exams and had to quit his studies. After the "Anschluss" Ernst Pulgram emigrated to Switzerland, in 1939 to the USA. After serving in the US-army, he graduated after studying comparative linguistics, first tought in New York and from 1948 until his retirement in 1986 as Professor of Romance and Classical Linguistics at the University of Michigan. In 1979 he was awarded the title of Hayward Keniston Distinguished Professor of Romance and Classical Linguistics.

On June 7th, 1990 he received the honorary doctorate of the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Vienna.
The exhibition "Ausgegrenzt, Vertrieben, Ermordet" (January 22nd - May 14th, 2010) at the Department of History of Art of the University of Vienna is dedicated to the memory of Ernst Pulgram and 20 other former students of the University of Vienna focused on art history.

Lit.: Obituary by the University of Michigan; Exhibition "Ausgegrenzt, Vertrieben, Ermordet" 2010, information from his widow Frances McSparran, 2016