Albert Popper
Encyclopedia
Albert Popper was a mayor
of Vimperk (Winterberg)
and doctor for the House of Schwarzenberg
.
Popper was born in the village of Bresnitz (Březnice)
to a Jewish family. At the time of his birth the number of Jewish families in the Kingdom of Bohemia
was strictly controlled by the Familianten
quota system, which was not abolished until 1848.
In addition to the government control of Jewish procreation, during most of Popper's life Jews were prohibited from owning property, choosing their place of domicile, attending public schools, or holding public office. This situation did not change until late in Albert Popper's life with the reforms of 1867 in the Austrian
portion of the dual monarchy.
Popper, nevertheless, was able to gain permission to attend the University of Vienna
, where he earned his doctorate in Pharmacology
in 1835. He went on to earn his medical degree and settled in Vimperk where he established a pharmacy and served as the official doctor to the Schwarzenberg princes.
By the time of the Vimperk fire of 1857, Popper was the town's mayor. After the fire, he implored the Habsburg monarchy
for assistance. Emperor Franz Joseph himself came to Vimperk and was the guest of Albert Popper. The emperor agreed to provide imperial funds for repair and reconstruction.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Vimperk (Winterberg)
Vimperk
Vimperk is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. In 2000 the town had 8,090 inhabitants. Vimperk is situated in the Šumava region in the Volyňka River valley among the foothills of the Boubín Mountains. The town elevation is 700 metres above sea level.Vimperk is surrounded by...
and doctor for the House of Schwarzenberg
House of Schwarzenberg
-History:The family was first mentioned in 1172. A branch of the Seinsheim family was created when Erkinger I of Seinsheim acquired the Franconian barony of Schwarzenberg, the castle Schwarzenberg and the title Baron of Schwarzenberg, in 1405–21. At this time, they also possessed some fiefdoms in...
.
Popper was born in the village of Bresnitz (Březnice)
Breznice (Príbram District)
----Březnice is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 3,700 inhabitants.Villages Bor, Dobrá Voda, Martinice, Přední Poříčí and Zadní Poříčí are administrative parts of Březnice....
to a Jewish family. At the time of his birth the number of Jewish families in the Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
was strictly controlled by the Familianten
Familianten
Familianten or Familianten Gesetz was the German term commonly used for the laws and the related record books which regulated the number of Jewish families in the Czech lands in the 18th and 19th centuries.-Background:...
quota system, which was not abolished until 1848.
In addition to the government control of Jewish procreation, during most of Popper's life Jews were prohibited from owning property, choosing their place of domicile, attending public schools, or holding public office. This situation did not change until late in Albert Popper's life with the reforms of 1867 in the Austrian
Cisleithania
Cisleithania was a name of the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual Monarchy created in 1867 and dissolved in 1918. The name was used by politicians and bureaucrats, but it had no official status...
portion of the dual monarchy.
Popper, nevertheless, was able to gain permission to attend the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, where he earned his doctorate in Pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
in 1835. He went on to earn his medical degree and settled in Vimperk where he established a pharmacy and served as the official doctor to the Schwarzenberg princes.
By the time of the Vimperk fire of 1857, Popper was the town's mayor. After the fire, he implored the Habsburg monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
for assistance. Emperor Franz Joseph himself came to Vimperk and was the guest of Albert Popper. The emperor agreed to provide imperial funds for repair and reconstruction.