Gertrude West (Wengraf)
| Born: |
02-08-1915 |
| Faculty: |
Philosophical School |
| Category: |
Expelled student |
Gertrude WEST (married WENGRAF), born on February 8
th, 1915 in Lundenburg, Moravia/Austro-Hungarian Empire [Břeclav/Czech Republic] (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship: Austria), daughter of Josef West (1876–1941/42, chemist) and Ella West, née Rosenfeld (1886–1941/42), came to Vienna with her family when she was thirteen and lived in Vienna's 1
st district, Franz Josefs Kai 43. She had passed her school-leaving examination (Matura) on July 5
th, 1933 at the Girls' Realgymnasium II (Vienna's 2
nd district, Novarragasse 30). In the fall term of 1933/34, she began to study history, geography and physical education at the University of Vienna and became involved in the Social Democratic Youth Movement. Under Austrofascism, she was sentenced for this - "for illegal political activity" - and expelled from all Austrian universities for two term.
She was only able to resume her studies in the spring term of 1936 and was last enrolled in the 4
th year of her studies at the Philosophical School.
She registered for the final exams/viva voce ("Rigorosen") on January 28
th, 1938 and passed the one-hour philosophical viva on March 10
th, 1938, only two days before the "Anschluss". After the "Anschluss" she was no more allowed to take the final examination for racist and political reasons and was forced to quit her studies in times of of National-Socialism and to leave the University of Vienna.
Two days before the viva, she had civilly married the Viennese art dealer Paul Ignaz Wengraf (1894-1978) on March 8
th, 1938 (who was already divorced and widowed and had left the IKG Vienna in 1930) and lived with him in Vienna's 4
th district, Belvederegasse 10. Both had to flee from Vienna, but were able to emigrate to England/Grat Britain in time.
They settled permanently in London, where their children Martin and Harry Wengraf and Monica Anne Wengraf-Hewitt were born.
Gertrude Wengraf's parents were unable to emigrate in time and were deported from Vienna to Litzmannstadt [Łódź/Poland] on October 28
th, 1941 and did not survive.
Gertrude Wengraf and her husband were able to reestablish an art business in England and lived at 25 West Hill Road, London S.W.18. They opened the
Arcade Gallery in the Royal Arcade in Old Bond Street in London as early as March 1939, and in December they exhibited the emigrated artist and Nazi critic John Heartfield (1891-1968) ("One Man's War against Hitler"), Heartfield's only solo exhibition in England during his lifetime. In the early years they increasingly exhibited persecuted Jewish artists (e.g. Friedl Dicker-Brandeis (1898-1944) in 1940) and kept the gallery open through all the war years as one of the few in London. At the end of 1947 they were granted British citizenship. Later, they also dealt in Dutch Mannerism, early Baroque to Neoclassicism at the gallery, and later specialized in African Art, Indian Miniatures, Greek and Roman Antiquities, and European Art.
In the 1970s, their children joined the gallery, which they continued to operate in the same location after their husband's death in 1978 until 1989 and as
Arcade Arts until 2004, respectively.
Gertrude Wengraf, née West, lived in London until the early 2000s.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") PHIL 1933-1938, final examination file and registry ("Rigorosenakt und -protokoll") PHIL Nr. 14158; Lilian R. FURST, Random Destinations: Escaping the Holocaust and Starting Life Anew, New York 2005, 187–189; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 499; Cherith SUMMERS, Brave New Visions. The Émigrés whoTtransformed the British Art World (catalogue), London 2019, 10; www.genteam.at; www.ancestry.de.
Herbert Posch
