Marceli (Marcel) Kawalek
| Born: |
02-23-1913 |
| Faculty: |
Medical School | Medical University Vienna |
| Category: |
Expelled student |
Marceli (Marcel) KAWALEK, born on February 23rd, 1913 in Zborow/Poland (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship: Austria), son of (Meyer) Jakob Kawalek (white-collar employee, 1882-1941) and his wife Mathilde (Mila, born in 1883), had moved to Vienna with his family when he was 12 years old.
He lived in Vienna 8th district, Alser Strasse 69/8. After he had graduated from high school ('Reformgymnasium') in Vienna 8th district, he started to study at the Medical School of the University of Vienna in fall term 1932/33. He was enrolled finally in fall term 1937/38 in the 5th year of his studies ('Absolutorium' was certified on November 3rd, 1938). He succeeded in finishing his studies and graduated on October 31st, 1938, but only with the discriminating ceremony of a 'Nichtarierpromotion', which included at the same time that he was banned from his profession. His twin brother
Roman Kawalek, who studied at the Medical School, too, could also finish his studies at the University of Vienna with the discriminating ceremony of a 'Nichtarierpromotion'.
Marceli Kawalek worked voluntarily as physician at the "Rothschildspital" (hospital of the Jewish Community Vienna) from December 21st, 1938 until July 20th, 1939.
Together with his brother he was able to flee to London/United Kingdom at the end of July 1939.
His parents stayed in Vienna. His father died of a heart attack, his mother, his cousin
Bronia Sonnenschein, nee Schwebel and other family members were deported to ghetto Litzmannstadt [Lodz/Poland] and then to the concentration camps Auschwitz [Oswiecim/Poland] and Stutthof/Germany, where Mathilde was murdered in September 1944. Bronia survived the deportations and emigrated to Vancouver/Canada after the liberation, which she experienced in the ghetto Theresienstadt [Terezín/Czech Republic].
Marceli Kawalek later emigrated to the USA, where he became a child psychiatrist in California. He married, had a son, Jackie, and was divorced later.
He died on March 12th, 1966, and was buried at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California/USA.
Lit.: information from his niece Marlene Kawalek Josephs, New York, 2013, and from the son of his cousin (Bronia Sonnenschein) Dan Sonnenschein, 2013/14; Bronia SONNENSCHEIN, Victory over Nazism. The journey of a Holocaust survivor [compiled and edited by Dan SONNENSCHEIN], 3rd edition, Vancouver 2013; KNIEFACZ/POSCH 2017c.
Katharina Kniefacz
