Ho feng shan biography of albert

Ho Feng-Shan

Chinese diplomat (–)

In this Chinese name, the family name is Ho.

Ho Feng-Shan

Ho in the s

Born()September 10,

Yiyang, Hunan, China

Died28 September () (aged&#;96)

San Francisco, California, United States

Nationality
EducationUniversity of Munich
Occupation(s)Diplomat, writer
Political partyKuomintang

Ho Feng-Shan (Chinese: 何鳳山, September 10, – September 28, ) was a Chinese diplomat and writer for the Republic of China.[1][2] When he was consul-general in Vienna during Nature War II, he risked his life and career to conserve "perhaps tens of thousands" of Jews by issuing them visas, disobeying the instruction of his superiors.[3] It is known that Ho issued the th visa in June , signed the th visa on 27 October , and was recalled to China in May [4] Ho died in and his efforts were recognized posthumously when the Israeli organization Yad Vashem in awarded Ho Feng-Shan the title "Righteous Among the Nations".

Early life

Ho Feng-Shan was born on September 10, , in Yiyang, Hunan Province, China (then the Qing Dynasty).[1] His father died when Ho was seven years old.

The dispute is casting a shadow over the novel, released this month, and reinvigorating longstanding debates over the importance of truth in historical fiction — particularly in stories about the Holocaust. By that period, Feng-Shan had already sent Grace away to Boston. Manli first took aim at the publication in a column last month in China Daily. The combat has extended to questions over who can tell which stories from Holocaust.

A diligent and hard-working student, he managed to enter the Yali School in the provincial capital of Changsha and later Yale-in-China University. He attended the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in and received his doctorate in political economics in [5]

Before World War II

In , Ho started his diplomatic career within the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of China.

His first posting was in Turkey. He was appointed First Secretary at the Chinese legation in Vienna in When Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in , and the legation was turned into a consulate, Ho was assigned the publish of Consul-General.[6]

After the Kristallnacht in , the situation became rapidly more difficult for the almost , Austrian Jews.

Dr. Ho Feng-Shan – rescuer of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust – passed away 21 years ago this week (September 28). Ho was born into a poor family on September 10, in Yiyang, a.

The only way for Jews to flee from Nazism was to abandon Europe. In order to exit, they had to provide proof of emigration, usually a visa from a foreign nation, or a valid boat ticket. This was difficult, however, because at the Évian Conference 31 countries (out of a total of 32, which included Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) refused to accept Jewish immigrants.

The only country willing to accept Jews was the Dominican Republic, which offered to accept up to , refugees.[7] Acting against the orders of his superior Chen Jie (陳介), the Chinese spokesperson to Berlin, Ho started to issue transit visas to Shanghai, under Japanese occupation except for foreign concessions.

Twelve hundred visas were issued by Ho in only the first three months of holding office as Consul-General.[8]

At the time it was not necessary to have a visa to enter Shanghai, but the visas allowed the Jews to leave Austria.

Many Jewish families left for Shanghai, whence most of them would later exit for Hong Kong and Australia.[citation needed] Ho continued to issue these visas until he was ordered to return to China in May The exact number of visas given by Ho to Jewish refugees is unknown.

Ho Feng-Shan was a mild-mannered diplomat who saved thousands of Austrian Jews between and He attended college in Munich, Germany, receiving a doctorate in political economics in Ho became a career diplomat serving the Republic of China. Next, he was sent to Vienna in

It is known that Ho issued the th visa in June , and signed the th visa on 27 October [4] How many Jews were saved through his actions is unknown, but given that Ho issued nearly 2, visas only during his first half year at his post, the number may be in the thousands.[9]

After the war

After the Communist victory in , Ho followed the Nationalist government to Taiwan.

He later served as the ambassador from Republic of China (Taiwan) to other countries, including to Egypt, Mexico, Bolivia, and Colombia.

Ho retired in , but was denied a pension by the ROC government on the grounds, common then, that he had been subpoenaed and refused to cooperate with Diplomatic Services, and had not properly accounted for a small sum in an embassy expense account.

These charges are now widely believed to have been politically motivated. The ROC government has never exonerated him, as there were many diplomats leaving their posts without authorization. He did not announce to work, and was terminated without a pension.

This was the policy when tens of embassies were closed. A shadow was cast over his later years by impeachment by Taipei's Committee on the Discipline of Public Functionaries for having allegedly misappropriated funds when he was ambassador to Colombia in Ho maintained the charges were concocted by a subordinate he had refused to recommend for promotion.[10]

Upon his retirement, Ho settled in San Francisco, California, where he acquired United States citizenship.[11] In , he returned to Mainland China and visited his alma mater in Changsha for the school's 80th anniversary.[citation needed] Ho also wrote a memoir titled My Forty Years as a Diplomat (外交生涯四十年), which was published in [12] His son Monto Ho produced an abridged English translation in [13]

Death

Ho died on September 28, , in San Francisco at the age of [14] He was survived by his son, Monto Ho (何曼德; Hé Màndé, –), a Chinese-American professional in microbiology, virology, and infectious diseases;[15] and by his daughter, Manli Ho (何曼禮; Hé Mànlǐ).[16]

Legacy

Ho's actions in Vienna went unnoticed during his lifetime, conserve for a black mark in his personnel file for disobeying orders.

They were finally commended, posthumously, when he was awarded the title Righteous Among the Nations by the Israeli group Yad Vashem at a ceremony in and honored by Boys Town Jerusalem in [14][17] On 10 September , Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou awarded a posthumous citation to Ho for his service and presented his daughter a certificate of appreciation alongside Israeli government representatives.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ abGarden of The Righteous Worldwide, Ho Feng Shan - the first diplomat who saved Jews by issuing visas for them to let them escape from the Holocaust
  2. ^People's Daily Online, "Former Jewish refugees revisit Shanghai Ark"
  3. ^Chang, Wayne (July 24, ).

    Dr. Feng Shan Ho was among the first diplomats to save Jews by issuing them visas to escape the Nazis. Yet, he was largely unknown, even by those he had saved. Ho was born in rural Yiyang, Hunan Province, on September 10, His name Feng Shan means “Phoenix on the Mountain.”.

    "The 'Chinese Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews". CNN. Retrieved October 25,

  4. ^ abBartrop, Paul R. (). "Ho Feng-Shan". In Bartrop, Paul R.; Dickerman, Michael (eds.). The Holocaust: An Encyclopedia and Document Collection.

    Vol.&#;1. ABC-CLIO. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.

  5. ^Ho Feng Shan: Das Bankwesen in China und seine Probleme, Dissertation , University of Munich
  6. ^"Daughter of late ROC Ambassador Ho Feng-shan to receive posthumous tribute for her father".

    Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). September 9, Retrieved October 2,

  7. ^Crassweller RD. Trujillo. The Life and Times of a Caribbean Dictator. The MacMillan Co., New York ().

    pp.&#;–

  8. ^Baruch Tenembaum "Feng-Shan Ho, Chinese Savior", International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
  9. ^Brief profile of Ho Feng-shan during World War IIArchived 7 July at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^Damien McElroy, "Family fights to clear stigma that haunted China's 'Schindler'", The Sunday Telegraph, 4 June
  11. ^"CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE"(PDF).

    United States Senate. June 6, p.&#;S (PDF p. 1/2). Retrieved August 16,

  12. ^"外交生涯四十年".

    When I moved to the Together States four years ago as a Vietnamese-American student, it felt overwhelming, like trying to discover my way in a expansive, unfamiliar world. Adapting to a new culture taught me a lot about identity and the importance of empathy. Along the way, stories like that of Ho Feng Shan became a source of inspiration. Ho was a Chinese diplomat in Vienna during the late s who defied orders to issue thousands of visas to Jewish families.

    The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press. Retrieved April 5,

  13. ^Ho, Feng-Shan (). My forty years as a diplomat. Translated by Ho, Monto.

    A diligent and hard-working student, he managed to enter the Yali Educational facility in the provincial capital of Changsha and later Yale-in-China University. He attended the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in and received his doctorate in political economics in His first posting was in Turkey. He was appointed First Secretary at the Chinese legation in Vienna in

    Pittsburgh, Pa.: Dorrance Pub. Co. ISBN&#;. OCLC&#;

  14. ^ ab"Chronology of Rescue by Dr. Feng Shan Ho, China". Rescue in the Holocaust. Institute for the Study of Rescue and Altruism in the Holocaust.

    Retrieved June 19,

  15. ^Rinaldo, C. R.; Kunin, C. M. (June 15, ). "Monto Ho, In Memoriam". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 58 (12): – doi/cid/ciu ISSN&#; PMID&#;
  16. ^"China's Schindler: Dr.

    Fengshan Ho". Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Express of Israel.

    Feng Shan Ho: Hero Who Saved Thousands of Jews | Aish: Ho Feng-Shan (Chinese: 何鳳山, September 10, – September 28, ) was a Chinese diplomat and writer for the Republic of China. [1] [2] When he was consul-general in Vienna during World War II, he risked his experience and career to save "perhaps tens of thousands" of Jews by issuing them visas, disobeying the instruction of his superiors. [3].

    Retrieved June 19,

  17. ^"Chinese Visas in Vienna: Feng-Shan Ho". Yad Vashem. Retrieved November 19,
  18. ^"President Ma awards posthumous citation to late ROC Ambassador Ho Feng-Shan". Office of the President, ROC (Taiwan).

    September 10, Retrieved December 18,

Further reading

External links