Andreas Michael Goldner was born in 1934 in Zurich, Switzerland. His parents were both physicians and had lost their positions. They thought Switzerland would be safe place; however, shortly after Andreas was born, the Swiss closed the borders to German Jews and actually pressured the German government to place a large “J” on any passport given to Jews. They were expelled from Switzerland and had to return to Germany.
Once back in Germany, his parents found positions at a small hospital in Baden Baden that was owned by a Jewish family. Andreas was sent to Kassel to stay with his maternal grandparents. Once his parents were settled, he was able to join them in Baden Baden. At that time, Andreas’s parents made every attempt to emigrate to the United States. A family friend, who was a furniture importer, was able to get visas and affidavits from his U.S. clients, which he in turn gave to friends who he believed would not survive the Nazis. This friend gave Andreas’s family the necessary documents and they were on a train to France on November 9,1938 — Kristallnacht.
They were interned in France because Andreas had whooping cough. Ultimately, they were released and arrived in New York on December 1,1938. Tragically, Andreas’ mother’s brother was arrested on Kristallnacht and died in Buchenwald before his family arrived in the United States. The family stayed in New York until his father obtained a position at the University of Chicago School of Medicine in 1941. Andreas began his education in Chicago where he learned English. His father became a U.S. citizen in 1941 and immediately enlisted in the army. His father hoped he would be sent to Europe so that he could find his parents and siblings. Unfortunately they all died in Auschwitz.
After finishing high school, Andreas went to Oberlin College and spent one year at the University of Munich. Hegraduated in 1956 and continued his education, receiving an M.A. from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from George Washington University. After that Andreas went on to post graduate training at Harvard School of Medicine and Yale School of Medicine. He was a professor at the University of California School of Medicine in Davis and he concluded his academic career as Associate Dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Andreas is bilingual and has returned to Germany almost every year since 1952. He and his wife moved to Oregon in 1991.