Karl Targownik
Encyclopedia
Karl Kalman Targownik was a psychiatrist
and Holocaust survivor.
Dr. Targownik was born in Budapest, Hungary, to a Jewish family. While studying in Poland
to become a medical doctor, Targownik was captured and sent to a concentration camp. For a period of time, Targownik was a prisoner at the infamous Auschwitz camp. At 29 years old and a mere 80 pounds (36 kg), Targownik was liberated on April 29, 1945 from the Dachau camp.
Soon after liberation, Targownik obtained his medical degree and practiced in New York City
. In 1952, Targownik moved to Topeka, Kansas
, to work at the Menninger Clinic, a popular treatment center for the mentally ill. He developed a friendship with Karl Menninger
, and soon rose through the ranks to become one of the institution's top psychiatrists. Targownik frequently spoke to groups about his Holocaust experience, and gained recognition throughout the state of Kansas
and much of the Midwest. He was named Kansan of the Year in 1976 by the newspaper of Topeka, Kansas.
Targownik continued to speak and give interviews through the end of his life, which was complicated by Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. He died at 80 on January 2, 1996, at his Topeka home.
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
and Holocaust survivor.
Dr. Targownik was born in Budapest, Hungary, to a Jewish family. While studying in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
to become a medical doctor, Targownik was captured and sent to a concentration camp. For a period of time, Targownik was a prisoner at the infamous Auschwitz camp. At 29 years old and a mere 80 pounds (36 kg), Targownik was liberated on April 29, 1945 from the Dachau camp.
Soon after liberation, Targownik obtained his medical degree and practiced in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1952, Targownik moved to Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, to work at the Menninger Clinic, a popular treatment center for the mentally ill. He developed a friendship with Karl Menninger
Karl Menninger
Karl Augustus Menninger , was an American psychiatrist and a member of the famous Menninger family of psychiatrists who founded the Menninger Foundation and the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas.- Biography :...
, and soon rose through the ranks to become one of the institution's top psychiatrists. Targownik frequently spoke to groups about his Holocaust experience, and gained recognition throughout the state of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and much of the Midwest. He was named Kansan of the Year in 1976 by the newspaper of Topeka, Kansas.
Targownik continued to speak and give interviews through the end of his life, which was complicated by Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. He died at 80 on January 2, 1996, at his Topeka home.