Ignaz Ferber papers

The collection consists of documents regarding Ignaz Ferber’s medical career in Vienna, Austria and his immigration to the United States in 1938. Ignaz Ferber (1912-2008) was born Ignaz Schwarzfärber on 24 April 1912 in Vienna, Austria to Albert (1879-1960) and Paula (née Hauser, 1883-1953) Schwarzfärber. He had two sisters, Grete (Grete Kohout, 1909-2000) and Johanna (Johanna Schiff, 1913-2001), and one brother, Fred (1911-2008). He received his medical degree from the Universität Wien in December 1936. He volunteered in the Allgemeines Krankenhaus, a hospital in Vienna, after graduation because Jewish physicians were not allowed to hold paid positions. After the German annexation of Austria (Anschluss) in March 1938, Ignaz was dismissed from the hospital and began proceedings to immigrate to the United States. He received his visa and left Vienna for the U.S. on 12 October 1938. His sister Johanna and her husband also immigrated to the U.S. in 1938, and his parents followed in 1939. During Kristallnacht his brother Fred was arrested and sent to Dachau. In order to obtain his brother's release, Ignaz Ferber booked passage for his brother to Shanghai, China, where he remained through World War II. His sister Grete went into hiding and traveled from village to village until liberation. Ignaz settled in New York and continued to practice medicine. He married Virginia Frank (1909-1994) in 1941. They had two children: Elizabeth and Joel.