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 has been preserved about his childhood and youth. In any case, he graduated from high school in Budapest on June 30, 1918 and studied for two semesters at the University of Budapest before transferring to the University of Vienna. On July 21, 1924, he received his doctorate in medicine.

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 in Burgenland on October 25, 1925. He closed this on October 31, 1929 and worked again as a surgeon at the University Clinic for Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases until July 15, 1930. He then opened a practice as a general practitioner and dentist in Güssing in Burgenland, at number 17. In 1934, he married the Jewish Katharina Winter.

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

On March 12, 1938, Arnold Grünfeld witnessed the demise of free and independent Austria with the invasion of the German Wehrmacht. With the occupation of Austria, German legislation was adopted and with it the 'Nuremberg Race Laws', according to which Arnold Grünfeld and his wife were considered '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 Reichsmark with him. 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 condition that he leave the country as soon as possible.

Arnold Grünfeld had to surrender his shares in apartment buildings and Vienna and Pressburg [today: Bratislava] amounting to 41,458.33 Reichsmarks, his entire cash assets amounting to 6.052 Reichsmark, receivables amounting to 7,452 Reichsmark and his medical instruments worth 3,500 Reichsmark as 'Reichsfluchtsteuer' to the National Socialist regime so that he and his wife could leave the country. In total, the occupiers robbed him of assets amounting to 58,462.33 Reichsmark.

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

Arnold Grünfeld practised as a doctor again in New York and became a US citizen in 1944. In the United States of America, he calls himself by his surname 'Grunfeld'. Arnold Grunfeld experienced the liberation of Austria and the re-establishment of the Republic in April and May 1945 in the United States of America. However, he and his wife decided not to return to Austria but to stay in New York.