Dr. Feng Shan Ho, Consul General of China in Vienna, 1938-40
Dr. Feng Shan Ho (1901-1997) was among the early diplomats to save Jews during the Holocaust.
Ho became First Secretary at the Chinese embassy in Vienna in 1937.
In
March 1938, Germany annexed Austria (known as the Anschluss). Thousands of Jews were subjected to Nazi persecutions.
Ho issued numerous visas to Jews seeking to escape Austria after the Anschluss. These visas enabled thousands of
Jewish refugees to flee Austria for safe haven in North and South America, Cuba, the Philippines, Palestine and Shanghai.
During the Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass) pogrom of November 9-10, 1939,
thousands of Austrian Jews were arrested and placed in Nazi concentration camps. In order to be released, they needed
proof of emigration, including a visa or a ship ticket to leave Austria. Many Austrian Jews obtained Chinese visas to
fulfill these requirements.
Ho issued these life-saving visas on
his own authority, despite orders to desist and a reprimand from his superior, Chen Jie, the Chinese Ambassador to Germany
in Berlin. Many visas were issued to rescue and relief organizations in Europe. In particular, Ho issued
at least 400 visas to Recha Sternbuch, who operated a Jewish rescue organization out of Switzerland. Ho also issued
visas to the Af-Al-Pi ("Despite Everything") Perl transport rescue operation. The Director of the Kulturgemeinde
(Jewish Community Center) in Vienna, Dr. Joseph Löwenherz, encouraged Jews to immigrate to China. Ho provided visas
to representatives of the Vienna Kulturgemeinde.
Ho was
recalled to China in May 1940.
After the war, Ho served as ambassador
of the Republic of China (ROC) to Egypt, Mexico, Bolivia and Columbia. He retired in 1973 in San Francisco, California,
after a diplomatic career that spanned 40 years.
Ambassador Ho
died in San Francisco in September 1997 at age 96. Ho's rescue activities were only discovered after his obituary
was published in a California newspaper.
Dr. Ho was awarded the status
of Righteous Among the Nations by the State of Israel in October 2000.