Dr. Arnold Grünfeld

Arnold Grünfeld was born in Güssing as the legitimate son of the rabbi of Güssing, Jakob Grünfeld, and his wife Daughter, née Rosenbaum-Letsh. Nothing is known about his childhood and youth. In any case, he graduated from high school on June 30, 1918, in Budapest and studied for two semesters at the University of Budapest before transferring to the University of Vienna. On July 21, 1924, he received his Doctor of Medicine degree.

Between 1924 and 1925, Arnold Grünbaum worked as a surgeon at the University Clinic for Laryngeal and Nasal Diseases before opening a practice as a general practitioner and dentist in Gattendorf, Burgenland, on October 25, 1925. He closed this practice on October 31, 1929, and worked once again as a surgeon at the University Clinic for Ear, Nose, and Larynx Diseases until July 15, 1930. He then opened a practice as a general practitioner and dentist at 17 Güssing in Burgenland. In 1934, he married Katharina Winter, who was Jewish.

On March 4, 1938, he closed his practice and moved to Vienna. Officially, he wanted to relocate his medical practice to Vienna, but in reality, he intended to emigrate abroad with his wife.

On March 12, 1938, Arnold Grünfeld witnessed the downfall of free and independent Austria with the invasion of the German Wehrmacht. With the occupation of Austria, German legislation was adopted, including the “Nuremberg Race Laws,” under which Arnold Grünfeld and his wife were classified as “full Jews.” On March 16, 1938, Arnold Grünfeld was arrested by the Gestapo on “suspicion of emigration.” At the time of his arrest, he had 4,852 Reichsmarks in his possession. On April 2, 1938, he was deported to the Dachau concentration camp on the so-called “Prominent Transport” and transferred from there to the Flossenbürg concentration camp on September 23, 1938. He was released on February 4, 1939, on the condition that he leave the country as soon as possible.

Arnold Grünfeld had to surrender his shares in apartment buildings in Vienna and Pressburg [today: Bratislava] amounting to 41,458, 33 Reichsmarks, his entire cash assets totaling 6,052 Reichsmarks, receivables amounting to 7,452 Reichsmarks, and his medical instruments valued at 3,500 Reichsmarks to the Nazi regime as a “Reich emigration tax” so that he and his wife would be allowed to leave the country. In total, the occupying forces robbed him of a fortune amounting to 58,462.33 Reichsmarks.

On February 14, 1939, Arnold Grünfeld and his wife received a visa for the United States and left Vienna penniless. They arrived in New York on March 31, 1939.

Arnold Grünfeld resumed his medical practice in New York and became a U.S. citizen in 1944. In the United States, he goes by the last name “Grunfeld.” Arnold Grunfeld witnesses the liberation of Austria and the reestablishment of the Republic in April and May 1945, respectively, while in the United States. However, he and his wife decide not to return to Austria but to remain in New York.

Arnold Grunfeld retired as a doctor and died at the age of 88. He was laid to rest in a Jewish cemetery in New York.