Robert Tauber
| Born: |
03-09-1915 |
| Faculty: |
Philosophical School |
| Category: |
Expelled student |
Robert TAUBER, born on March 9th, 1915 in Vienna/Austria (entitled residency ('heimatberechtigt') for Vienna/Austria, Citizenship: Austria), son of Julius Tauber (salesman) and his wife Hildegard (nee Jolles recte Hulles, born in 1890 in Vienna, married in 1913), grew up with his mother after his parents had seperated. After he had graduated from high school ("Akademisches Gymnasium") in Vienna in 1934 he began to study chemistry at the Philosophical School of the University of Vienna. He lived in Vienna 18th district, Herbeckstrasse 58, and was enrolled finally in spring term 1938 in the 4th year of his studies and took courses in Chemistry. He couldn't finish his final thesis ('Dissertation'), which he worked on since 1937 at the "Radiuminstitut".
Robert Tauber was arrested on November 10th, 1938, and deported to the concentration camp Dachau. His girl friend
Grete Klimont (1917-1980), who was expelled from the University of Vienna in 1938, too, was able to accomplish his release with a confirmation of a ticket to Shanghai after several weeks.
After his release the couple married and emigrated to Shanghai, where they initially had to live in an overcrowded refugee asylum. Later he worked as a chemist for different companies. After the end of World War II Tauber began to work in a soap factory and soo received a leading position.
The couple returned to Austria in 1948 and Robert Tauber succeeded in finishing his studies at the University of Vienna with his final thesis (Dissertation): 'Untersuchungen an Alphastrahlen mit Hilfe photographischer Platten.' in Chemistry (doctoral advisors: Ebert, Wessely) on July 11th, 1951. He suppoerted Paul Loew-Beer in the founding of the company "Loba Chemie", whe he was responsible for commercial matters from this time on. Later he also was co-founder of the company "Loba Feinchemie". He was retired in 1975.
Robert Tauber died on January 18th, 2000, in Vienna and was buried at the cemetery in Vienna-Ottakring (group 4, no. 247A) with his wife Margarete Tauber, who had died in 1980.
In their lifetime the couple also engaged for social justice. Because they remained childless, Robert Tauber had asked his best friend, Robert Rosner, to administer a large part of the legacy for charitable purposes. Rosner finally founded the 'Robert und Grete Tauber Gedenkfonds' in 2001, which helps children and teenagers with immigration background to handle educational problems resulting from migration.
Lit.: Information from Robert W. Rosner; Gedenkdienst 1A/2007: "Ein Lichtblick für Fluechtlinge: der Tauber Fonds" (pdf); Friedhoefe Wien/Search for deceased people; information from Oswald Glaser, 2015; KNIEFACZ/POSCH 2017b; KNIEFACZ/POSCH 2017c.
Katharina Kniefacz
