Rothschild Hospital

The 1873 opened so-called Rothschild Hospital, actually: Hospital of the Jewish community in Vienna, named after its founder, Baron Anselm Salomon von Rothschild, was in his time one of the most modern hospitals in the city. It served the Jewish community of Vienna ( IKGW ) from 1873 to 1938 as a hospital for the members of the community during the Nazi period, it remained open from 1938 to 1943 and was the only hospital in Vienna, where Jewish Patientent treated and Jewish doctors could operate. After the end of World War II it was used as camps for Jewish displaced persons, later used as a detention center for Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe. The built according to the plans of the Viennese architect Wilhelm Stiassny building was demolished in 1960.

History

Foundation

The hospital with 100 beds was founded by Baron Anselm Salomon von Rothschild in memory of his late father Salomon Baron Rothschild and is the Jewish Community Vienna. The agreement with the Jewish Community Vienna was signed on 17 January 1869. The new hospital was used as a replacement for the 1698, founded by Samuel Oppenheimer, with its 40 beds for the growing number of Viennese Jews no longer sufficient Jewish Hospital in Seegasse 9 in the 9th district of Vienna.

Planning

During the construction of the hospital, the latest findings of the hospital building should be considered. To this end, the doctors Albert Matzel, a board member of the Jewish Community Vienna, and Bernhard Wölfler (1816-1895), the director of the hospital in Seegasse, sent on a study trip through Europe. 40 -day journey began on 19 June 1869 in Vienna and led by 19 towns and 61 hospitals. In the journey results summary memorandum Matzel and Wölfler called for the hospital to be built following essential characteristics: pavilion system; for 20 patients six wards ( l / w / h in meters: 22.8 / 9.5 / 4.7 ); Air heating and lighting by gas; Ventilation after Pulsionsprinzip. Was The rooms should be bright and well ventilated, approved the incorporation of Wasserspültoiletten and steam cooking equipment for kitchen and laundry facilities. With the planning of the construction of Jewish Viennese architect Wilhelm Stiassny was commissioned.

Construction

The hospital was built on the newly created Währinger Gürtel ( today: Währinger Gürtel ) on a plot of land on what was once an imperial nursery. Limited, it was of the Lord alley (now Gentzgasse ) in the south and the Döblingerstraße (since 1894 Semperstraße ) in the west.

The excavation work was begun on July 19, 1870 the DC level was reached on June 2, 1871. In the fall of 1872, the construction and installation works were so far advanced that the final stone was laid was set at 9 March 1873, the commissioning of the hospital on the 1st April of the same year. The actual opening then took place on 10 April 1873. The patients from the old hospital in Seegasse had relocated to the new hospital the day before. At the opening ceremony a plaque made ​​of marble was unveiled to commemorate the father of the donor in the entrance hall, which was also immortalized on the facade of the building.

Operation

Was financed by the operation of the hospital from donations, endowments, payments from patients and grants from the Jewish Community Vienna.

As primary physicians Leopold Oser (1839-1910) and later Otto Zuckerkandl (1861-1921) were active. 1902 permitted the Jewish community Zuckerkandl and the laboratory Board Artur Katz give lectures for doctors and students in the hospital.

Originally pregnant women in the last two months, nursing mothers, children under eight years, the mentally ill and terminally ill patients were excluded from the recording. However, a surgical- gynecological pavilion with 50 beds and a dispensary was opened on 1 January 1903. After that several dispensaries were opened. On December 1, 1906 the one. Eye diseases, on April 9, 1907 for nervous patients, on December 1, 1912 of Dermatology and then another one for ear, nose and throat diseases

From 1908, the hospital was also the " Empress Elisabeth Institute of Israelite nurses " connected, where Jewish women and girls were trained as nurses. After twelve years, in which only 35 nurses were trained, the training center was closed.

The reputation of the Vienna medical school and the hospital " acts like a magnet, the patient from all countries achieve pulls. Most poor patients who want to become not only healed, but also supported and must ", especially Jews from Galicia, the " " were half-starved, lamented the Jewish magazine East and West in 1913. Had the hospital in accordance with the Board of the Sick spend more than other hospitals and was known for its good food.

1932 monthly seminar evenings have been introduced. Together with general practitioners interesting special cases were discussed which had occurred during the last month.

The Anschluss of Austria to the German Reich ended this teaching. On April 6, 1938 was issued to all rectors of universities in Austria instructed to revoke the teaching license of Jewish lecturer until further notice. The Reich Citizenship Law of June 25, 1938 was the Bestallungen Jewish doctors from 30 September extinguished. In addition, Jewish doctors were not allowed to call the doctor and just could not be treated as " medical practitioner " Jews.

The Rothschild Hospital was the only hospital in Vienna, which was allowed to record Jewish patients during the Nazi era. " Aryans ", admission to the hospital was prohibited it. The SA carried out inspections of whether patients actually required a hospital treatment or perhaps sought to avoid deportation.

After the chairman of neurology had emigrated to England, was Viktor Frankl, a neurologist and psychiatrist, was appointed chief physician. He was employed from 1940 until his deportation to Theresienstadt in 1942.

The building was expropriated by the SS and used as a military hospital in the summer of 1943. The Jewish Hospital had to move to the Malzgasse 16 in the 2nd district of Vienna.

After 1945

In 1945, the hospital was severely damaged by bombing. With the help of several agencies, including the U.S. military government, the most serious damage was put in order and used the complex as a DP camp for Jewish refugees. Various waves of Jewish refugees from Poland in 1946, 1947 Romania, 1948/49, from Hungary aggravated the situation in the damaged building. Between 1945 and 1952, about 250,000 Jewish refugees were cared for in this makeshift refugee camp. During the uprising in Hungary in 1956, refugees were accommodated here again.

In 1949 the Jewish community of Vienna a request for return of the Rothschild Hospital in their property, which was done on 29 March 1949. The plan was a reconstruction of the hospital, but did not materialize due to financial reasons. End of the 1950s the former hospital was at the Vienna Chamber of Commerce (now the Vienna Chamber of Commerce ) sold. An adaptation of the building for the needs of the Economic Development Institute ( WIFI), which was previously housed in the nearby Severingasse, was considered uneconomic and impractical, and therefore was the 1960 crash. The new building was completed in 1963 and later enlarged. On September 16, 2012, a commemorative plaque was placed, which is reminiscent of the former Rothschild Hospital.