European Jewish dermatologists who came to New South Wales, Australia, as a consequence of National Socialism: Challenges and contributions.

Abstract

The period of National Socialism (1933-1945) had a seismic impact on the medical profession in Europe and beyond. This study aimed to identify Jewish dermatologists who fled Europe as a result of National Socialism and migrated to the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), to document their struggles, and to describe their contributions to dermatology. Five dermatologists who survived the horrors of Nazism and migrated to NSW were identified. Frederik Goldschlag (1893-1973), Richard Kantor (1886-1954), Isidor Knossew (1898-1965), Emil Milder (1902-1973), and Emery Kocsard (1912-2005) arrived in NSW during the period of 1938 to 1951. Myriad contributions were made to dermatology. The challenges confronted by refugee dermatologists did not cease with the end of National Socialism. On reaching Australia, university and medical board barriers and the country's strong British affiliation posed further difficulties for many refugee doctors from the European continent. The study complements previous research on the exodus of dermatologists from Europe to countries other than Australia as a result of National Socialism. The study also prompts sober reflection about the losses suffered by dermatology, alongside other branches of medicine, through Nazism and the Holocaust.