A rank equivalent to that of a general was bestowed upon Jakob Rosenfeld for his service as a field doctor within the Chinese Communist military. A survivor of both the Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps, he arrived in Shanghai in August 1939 to establish a medical practice, eventually becoming the Minister of Health in the Provisional Communist Military Government of China.
Early Education and Medical Practice
Born in Lemberg in 1903, Rosenfeld moved with his family to Wöllersdorf in 1910. He enrolled at the University of Vienna in 1922, earning his doctorate in medicine in May 1928. By 1930, he held a position at the Vienna General Hospital. Following his arrest in 1934 for membership in the Social Democratic Party of Austria, he transitioned to private practice, specializing in urology.
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Following the 1938 Anschluss, Rosenfeld was deported to Dachau, later being transferred to Buchenwald where he sustained injuries from beatings. In June 1939, authorities released him on the condition that he vacate the country within fourteen days. He obtained visas from Ho Feng-shan and traveled to Shanghai, where he operated a clinic providing urological, gynecological, and obstetric care.
Military Service in China
In 1941, Rosenfeld joined the New Fourth Army as a surgeon, later serving with the Eighth Route Army and the Northeast People's Liberation Army. He became a member of the Chinese Communist Party in 1942. Confronting a severe shortage of qualified medical personnel, he founded the Huazhong Medical School, where he delivered lectures on anatomy, physiology, and surgery to military medical teams.
Final Years
After participating in the march on Beijing, Rosenfeld returned to Europe in November 1949 to locate his relatives. Finding that most had perished in the Holocaust, he attempted to return to China in 1950 but was unsuccessful. He subsequently emigrated to Israel, where he resided with his brother Joseph and practiced medicine at a Tel Aviv hospital until his death from a heart attack in 1952.
Fast facts
- Born: 1903, Lviv
- Died: 1952, Tel Aviv
- Education: University of Vienna
- Military Rank: General
- Citizenships: Austria, People's Republic of China, Israel
- Primary Occupations: Physician, Politician, Gynecologist, Urologist
- Burial Site: Kiryat Shaul Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What medical specialties did Jakob Rosenfeld practice?
He was a trained urologist who also practiced gynecology and obstetrics.
Did Rosenfeld hold political office?
Yes, he served as the Minister of Health in the Provisional Communist Military Government of China.
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