Remembering the Holocaust
Stories of Courage & Hope
For Holocaust Memorial Day 2026, Russell Bowles invites us to find out more about the many Gentiles who sheltered Jews during the Holocaust. For example few have heard of Kundanlal Gupta from India who joined their ranks.
The Indian Businessman Who Saved Jews During the Holocaust.
The name, Kundanlal Gupta will probably not mean anything to most people but in the 1930s he was instrumental in saving Jews from Austria, providing them with exit visas, jobs in India and literally saving their lives.
Dr Yvette Alt Miller discovered his story in the book, ‘A Rescue In Vienna; the Story of an Unlikely Saviour,’ written by his grandson Vinay Gupta.
In 1938, Kundanlal, a wealthy businessman, was planning his second visit to Europe to purchase machinery for the expansion of his woodworking factories in India.
The Germany and Austria of 1938 were very different from those that Kundanlal saw on his first visit ten years earlier. With Nazi influence spreading rapidly in Europe, tension was heightened and fear in the Jewish community was palpable.
In addition to buying machinery, Kundanlal was hoping to make an appointment to visit a world-renowned gastroenterologist in Vienna, as he was suffering from diabetes and struggled with gastrointestinal problems. On visiting the hospital, he learned that the doctor, Gustav Singer had been dismissed merely because he was Jewish. “Who fires their best employees because of their religion?” Kundanlal wondered, realising that something in Austria was very wrong. All over Austria, Jewish people in professional positions had been prohibited from practising, including medical staff.
The new Nazi government in Austria implemented harsh racial laws that forced Jews to wear a yellow star on their clothing, making it easier for violence to erupt against them. They were made to scrub the streets on their knees while jeering crowds mocked them. Jewish homes and businesses were vandalised culminating in a nationwide pogrom on 9-10 November 1938 called ‘Kristallnacht’ or ‘Night of Broken Glass’ when over 1400 synagogues were burned down and more than 7000 Jewish shops had their windows broken. Mobs attacked and killed Jews while over 26,000 were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
Astonished, Kundanlal decided he must try to help the Jewish community. In one of the health centres in Vienna he met a Jewish patient called Fritz Weiss who was confined to a wheelchair after being beaten up. He had practised as a lawyer for six years but Jews were now barred from Austrian courts. His family had been robbed of their property and were told to leave the country. Fritz’ uncle managed to obtain a visa for what was then British Palestine, now Israel, but Fritz couldn’t and was now trapped in Austria. Kundanlal knew he had to do something for Fritz. The British authorities in India made immigration difficult. Less than 300 visas were issued in 1938 and applicants had to have a job waiting and sponsors had to guarantee full support for them and their dependants. Despite these difficulties, Kundanlal did not hesitate to act. He invented a company called ‘Kundan Agencies’ and offered Fritz a job. After months of assembling documents, a visa for Fritz arrived. He was on his way to India!
Encouraged, Kundanlal began to advertise in Austrian newspapers for workers experienced in textiles and woodwork – his actual industries. When he received replies, he only accepted Jews!
Kundanlal’s efforts bringing workers to India eventually aroused the suspicion of the British officials. While Kundanlal was abroad, a policeman visited his home in Ludhiana and spoke to his son. The officer left after a short while satisfied that Kundanlal was indeed a wealthy businessman and that the positions of employment taken by Europeans were genuine.
Kundanlal never spoke of his humanitarian deeds and sought no recognition. Eventually his grandson, Vinay Gupta researched the story, not thinking there was any truth to what his relatives had told him. On discovering that there was, he wrote a book entitled “A Rescue In Vienna – The Story of an Unlikely Saviour.’ “My grandfather never talked about it.” he said. “He was a very quiet man. He never wanted to discuss it.”
Based on an article in Aish.com (September 17) by Dr Yvette Alt Miller, ‘Indian Businessman Quietly Saved Jews from the Holocaust.’
More stories like this one can be found in our booklet “The Forgotten Righteous”
