Karl Moriz Menzel: A Viennese ENT specialist and his escape from the Nazis
Main Article Content
Keywords
Karl Moritz Menzel, Markus Hajek, oto-rhino-laryngology, Vienna, Nazis, Anschluss, , Expulsion, College of Physicians in Vienna
Abstract
This text covers the Austrian-born oto-rhino-laryngologist Karl Moriz Menzel (1837-1944) who, due to his Jewish descent, was forced to flee from his homeland in 1938. For this purpose, Menzel’s estate, which was found in the archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, is used for the first time ever. The correspondence between Menzel and his teacher Markus Hajek stands out in particular. It provides insights into the fates of two Jewish doctors who were forced to plan their emigration after the ‘Anschluss’. It becomes clear that Hajek assisted Menzel in his escape to Brussels. Menzel is a prime example of the many doctors expelled by the Nazis for racist and political reasons. The authors systematically document for the first time the expulsion of members of the College of Physicians in Vienna.
References
2. Reiter-Zatloukal I, Sauer B. NS-Entrechtung österreichischer Ärzte und Ärztinnen. In: Czech H, Weindling P, editors. Jahrbuch 2017: Österreichische Ärzte und Ärztinnen im Nationalsozialismus. Vienna: Dokumentationsarchiv des österreichischen Widerstands (doew); 2017. p. 23–46.
3. Reiter-Zatloukal I. The “Purge” of Vienna’s Medical Profession 1938–1945. Wien Klin Wochenschr 2018; 130:304–7.
4. Sablik K. Untergang und Widergeburt (1938–1945). In: Spitzy KH, editor. Gesellschaft der Ärzte in Wien 1837- 1987. Vienna: Brandstätter; 1987. p. 39–56.
5. Hlade JL. Theodor Meynerts (1833–1892) Physikalisierung des Ich. Die zweite Wiener Medizinische Schule und die österreichische Philosophie. Würzburg: Königshausen & Neumann; 2022.
6. Certificate of the University of Vienna for obtaining the academic degree of Dr. med. univ. 1897 Jun 28. Located at: Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Vienna; Menzel’s estate.
7. Menzel KM. Letter to: an unknown U.S. authority, including curriculum vitae. Located at: Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Vienna; Menzel’s estate.
8. Curriculum vitae Karl Moriz Menzel. Located at: Austrian State Archives (AT-OeStA/AVA), Vienna; Unterricht UM allg. Akten 628.3, Menzel, Karl Moriz, Professorenakt.
9. Confirmation of the Dean’s Office of the Medical Faculty of the University in Vienna about Menzel’s teaching activities. 1939 Mar 27. Located at: Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Vienna; Menzel’s estate.
10. Marriage certificate. 1906 Jun 28. Located at: Matriculation office of the Jewish Community, Vienna; Series number 974/I/0.
11. Seizure Order Karl Moriz Menzel. Located at: Austrian State Archives, Archives of the Republic, Vienna; Finance, CoR/06/BMfF./VVST/VA 18 196. KT. 154 Geheime Staatspolizei, Staatspolizeistelle Wien.
12. GenTeam [Internet]. Index of the Jewish Records of Vienna and Lower Austria; [cited 2023 Jan 9]. Available from: https://www.genteam.at/index.php?option=com_db53&id=110455&limitstart=0&n=menzel&v=gertrude+anna &view=detail
13. Weindling P. Medical Refugees and the Modernisation of British Medicine, 1930-1960. Soc Hist Med. 2009 Dec 1;22(3):489–511.
14. General Council of Medical Education & Registration of the United Kingdom. Letter to: Letter to: Karl Moriz Menzel. 1938 May 9. Located at: Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Vienna; Menzel’s estate.
15. Hajek M. Letter to: Karl Moriz Menzel. 1938 Nov 22. Located at: Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Vienna; Menzel’s estate. Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Menzels estate;
16. Hajek M. Letter to: Karl Moriz Menzel. 1938 Dec 5. Located at: Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Vienna; Menzel’s estate.
17. Hajek M. Letter to: Karl Moriz Menzel. 1939 Apr 21. Located at: Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Vienna; Menzel’s estate.
18. Appelboom N. Certified translation from French to German. 1965 Oct 21. Located at: Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Vienna; Menzel’s estate.
19. Van den Branden H. Letter to: Karl Moriz Menzel. 1938 Nov 18. Located at: Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Vienna; Menzel’s estate.
20. Pfeiffer L. Erich Schild – der Sprinter. Eric Schildkraut – der Schauspieler. Zwei Welten, ein Lebensweg. In: Pfeiffer L, Heinrich A, editors. Juden im Sport in der Weimarer Republik und im Nationalsozialismus Ein historisches Handbuch für Nordrhein-Westfalen. Göttingen: Wallstein; 2019. p. 774–81.
21. Baumgarten-Tramer F. Letter to: Karl Moriz Menzel. 1942 Jun 18. Located at: Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Vienna; Menzel’s estate.
22. FamilySearch [Internet]. ‘United States, New York, Index to Passengers Arriving at New York City, compiled 1944-1948’; [cited 2022 Dec 22]. Available from: httphttps://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7H44-9VMM: 23 October 2019
23. Hajek M. Letter to: Karl Moriz Menzel. 1940 Mar 16. Located at: Archives of the College of Physicians in Vienna, Vienna; Menzel’s estate.
24. Quack S. Zuflucht Amerika. Zur Sozialgeschichte der Emigration deutsch-jüdischer Frauen in die USA 1933-1945. Bonn: J.H.W. Dietz Nachfolger; 1995. p. 75–79.
25. Walter I. Die Emigration (zukünftiger) Pflegepersonen aus Österreich 1938/39. In: Angetter D, Nemec B, Posch H, Druml C, Weindling P, editors. Strukturen und Netzwerke Medizin und Wissenschaft in Wien 1848–1955. Göttingen: V&R unipress; 2018. p. 617–619.
26. Czech H. Braune Westen , weiße Mäntel. Die Versuche einer Entnazifizierung der Medizin in Österreich. In: Czech H, Weindling P, editors. Jahrbuch 2017: Österreichische Ärzte und Ärztinnen im Nationalsozialismus. Dokumentationsarchiv des österreichischen Widerstands (doew); 2017. p. 179–201.
27. Czech H. Science without Restraint . Research Practices at the Vienna Medical Faculty under National Socialism. In: Angetter D, Nemec B, Posch H, Druml C, Weindling P, editors. Strukturen und Netzwerke Medizin und Wissenschaft in Wien 1848–1955. Göttingen: V&R unipress; 2018. p. 631–52.
28. Schütz W. “Anschluss” 1938 – what do we still feel? Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2018;130: 281–2.
29. Taschwer K. Anschluss 1938: Aftermath on Medicine and Society. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2018; 130: 279–341.
30. Angetter D, Kanzler C. „... sofort alles zu veranlassen, damit der Jude als Arzt verschwindet“. Jüdische Ärztinnen und Ärzte in Wien. In: Czech H, Weindling P, editors. Jahrbuch 2017: Österreichische Ärzte und Ärztinnen im Nationalsozialismus. Vienna: Dokumentationsarchiv des österreichischen Widerstands (doew); 2017.
31. Florez-Lukacs IA. Die Wiener Medizinische Fakultät von 1945 bis 1955. Entnazifizierung, Personalpolitik und Wissenschaftsentwicklung. [Ph.D. thesis]. Vienna: University of Vienna; 2014.
32. Hubenstorf M. Ende einer Tradition und Fortsetzung als Provinz. Die Medizinischen Fakultäten der Universitäten Berlin und Wien 1925–1950. In: Medizin, Naturwissenschaft und Technik im Nationalsozialismus Kontinuitäten und Diskontinuitäten. Stuttgart: Verlag für Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften und der Technik; 1994. p. 33–53.
33. Hlade J. Theodor Meynert (1833–1892): Famous brain-anatomist and poet. J Med Biogr. 2022; 30(3):185–93.
34. Hlade J. Reconsidering “Brain mythology.” Medicina Historica 2021; 5(1): 1–9.
35. Hlade J. ‘Es gibt keine ‚idiographische‘ Wissenschaft. Alois Riehl und der Methodendualismus der Süd-Westdeutschen Neukantianer. Revue de Synthèse 2023; 144 (1-2): 161–200.
36. Hlade J. Kant im Neukantianismus. Philosophie als Lebensanschauung: Alois Riehls Auseinandersetzung mit Werten. Con-Textos Kantianos. International Journal of Philosophy 2023; 17: 99–109.
37. Hlade J., Meer R. Alois Riehl and the History of Psychology: The 1913 Declaration of the Philosophers. Eur Yearb Hist Psychol. 2021; 7: 11–39.
38. Hlade J., Meer R. Zwischen Universitätsreformen und katholischer Renaissance. Grazer Philosophische Studien 2022; 99 (2):293–328.
39. Hlade J., Hammer M. Moral und Dogma: Alois Riehls Neukantianismus im Spannungsfeld zwischen Religion und Politik. Kantian Journal 2020; 39 (1):77–111.
40. Hlade J. Viennese brain research and the formation of Austrian positivism. Ber Wiss. 2019;42(1): 7–27.
41. Hlade J. Theodor Meynert (1833–1892). Selected Archive Sources on Life and Work. Eur Yearb Hist Psychol. 2020; 6: 131–188.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
How to Cite
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Transfer of Copyright and Permission to Reproduce Parts of Published Papers.
Authors retain the copyright for their published work. No formal permission will be required to reproduce parts (tables or illustrations) of published papers, provided the source is quoted appropriately and reproduction has no commercial intent. Reproductions with commercial intent will require written permission and payment of royalties.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.