Karl (Charles A.) Blodi

Karl (Charles A.) BLODI, born on July 4^th, 1918 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Vienna/Austria, citizenship 1938: Austria), son of Dr. Adolf Blodi (1887-1967, white-collar employee, retired)  and Berta Blodi, née Grueger (1885-1970), lived in Vienna's 5^th district, Gassergasse 2/3/20, since 1939 in Maria Enzersdorf, Halperstorferstrasse 29, which was incorporated into Vienna at that time. In the spring of 1937, he passed his school-leaving examination (Reifepruefung/Matura) at the "Rainer" private high school and began to study at the School of Law and Political Science in the fall term of 1937/38 and was in the 1^st year of his law studies in the spring term of 1938. At the same time, he was a "one-year volunteer" in the air-raid warfare unit of the Austrian Armed Forces

Blodi was baptized Roman Catholic - like his father, who had been a member of the Israelite religious community at birth - and was considered a "Mischling 1^st degree" by the National Socialists, and he could only take up or continue his studies provisionally - valid until revoked at any time. In the fall term of 1938/39, he therefore transferred from the School of Law to the Philosophical School and began to study chemistry there.

His older brother Friedrich Blodi (1917-1996), who studied at the School of Medicine, was also subjected to discriminatory measures and was still able to obtain a doctorate in 1940, but only under the condition of a simultaneous ban from the profession.

Since 1^st Trimester 1940 socalled "Mischlinge" had to bring in an application for permit to study at the Reichserziehungsministerium Berlin. Karl Blodis application had be approved by a local professor, but Prof. Ernst Späth, head of the 2nd chemical laboratory of the University of Vienna, gave a very adverse report  on March 18^th, 1940.
So the "Reichserziehungsministerium Berlin" decided on April 24^th, 1940 that Blodi was no more allowed to continue his chemical studies but was forced to join the German "Wehrmacht" and after a "Frontbewährung" (surviving of very risky military action) he would be allowed to bring in an pllication again.

As "Mischlinge" had to submit a respective application to the Reich Ministry of Education Berlin from the 1st trimester 1940 onwards before any further step in their studies, Karl Blodi submitted an application for admission to continue his studies in chemistry (he was in his 2^nd year). As the professor in charge, Prof. Ernst Späth, head of the II Chemical Laboratory of the University of Vienna, issued Blodi an extremely unfavorable opinion on March 18^th, 1940. The Reich Ministry of Education decided as early as April 24^th, 1940, not to admit Blodi to continue his studies, but opened up the option of "front probation" for him; if he survived, he could resubmit his application.

On May 22^nd, 1940, he was arrested by the Vienna Gestapo for political reasons (the reason, according to his grandcousin's recollection, was that he had made a joke about Adolf Hitler and a female colleague had denounced him) and sentenced to 18 months in prison or a labor camp, and was completely excluded from any further admission to university studies.

Only after the end of National Socialism was he able to resume his studies, and from the spring term of 1947 to the spring term of 1949 he again studied at the School of Law and Political Science, but this time in political science. In 1948 he submitted a diploma thesis in economics ("Development of World Grain Production and Foreign Trade in Grains") and earned the academic degree of "Diplom-Volkswirt" on July 1^st, 1948, and in 1949 he also submitted a dissertation in political science ("Ist die Diskontpolitik als Instrument der Konjunkturregelung verwendbar?", supervisors: Prof. Mayer, Prof. Degenfeld-Schonburg), which was approved on March 20^th, 1950, and received his doctorate "Dr.rer.pol." in 1950.

Karl (Charles A.) Blodi emigrated - like his parents and his brother Friedrich (Frederick C.) Blodi - to the USA no later than 1954 and he married Katharina/Katja Holjavko (1929-dto.) on September 29^th, 1958 in Manhattan, New York City, NY and they had two children: Elizabeth Susan Dewhurst (b. 1961) and Alexander M Blodi (b. 1963, married to Jeanne Marie De Simone, b. 1964).

He resided first in New York, NY, later in Englishtown, NJ, most recently in Manalapan Twp Monmouth, NJ/USA.
Dr. Charles A. Blodi, nee Karl Blodi, died on September 16^th, 2000 in Freehold Twp Monmouth, New Jersey/USA.

Lit: Archives of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") IUR 1937-1939, PHIL 1938-1940, IUR 1947-1949, PHIL GZ 743 ex 1939/40, final examination files Law School  ("Rigorosenprotokoll") J RA W 188; www.myheritage.at; kind reference from his cousin 2^nd degree Mag. Andrea Vlasek, Vienna 10/2022..

Katharina Kniefacz, Herbert Posch