Epsteins F.

Collection description

Postal address:: Oud rectoraat, verdieping -2, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 25, 9000 Gent

Scope and content:: In this small fonds we find i.a. Epsteins’ inscription form for the department of Zoology for the academic years 1936-1937 and 1938-1939, a certificate proving that he finished his studies, proof of having attended courses, documents related to the giving of practical exercises and his career as an assistant (1936,1940) and finally certificates issued by educational institutions in Latvia. The fonds includes material produced by Epsteins as well as Prof. Dr. Paul van Oye.

Administrative/biographical history:: Fedor Falk Epsteins was born in Riga on 17 December 1912. He came to Belgium to study Biology in 1936. Epsteins, who did not have the necessary certificates to start his PhD in Belgium, obtained all required degrees between 1936 and 1940. At the same time he worked as the assistant to Prof. Dr. Paul Van Oye in the lab and published various articles on experimental genetics. Epstein eventually obtained his PhD at the end of August 1940. In 1939 he married Nora Pieruccini. Early 1941 the couple moved to Latvia, where Fedor was appointed assistant at the hydrobiological station at Jelgava. He was imprisoned in June 1941 in a concentration camp, and was murdered there in July 1942. His work was (re)published by his colleagues of Ghent University at the end of the 1940s. (P. Van Oye, Fedor Falk Epsteins., Antwerpen, De Sikkel, 1949, reprint from Biologisch Jaarboek, 1949, pp. 28-31; M. Verschooris, Schrijven in de schaduw van de dood. Over thuiskomen, opduiken en achterblijven (1940-1955), Gent, Snoeck, 2005.)

Subject terms:: Education; Education--Schools and universities; Education--Students; Migration; Migration--Immigration; Professions; Professions--Scholars (secular), scientists, and academics