Josef Hupka

Born:	02-22-1875
Faculty:	Law School
Category:	Expelled teacher

Josef HUPKA (born on February 22nd, 1875 in Vienna, died on April 23rd, 1944 in Theresienstadt [Terezín/Czech Republic]) was in 1938 o. Prof. for commercial and exchange law ('Handels- und Wechselrecht') at the Law School of the University of Vienna.  Hupka studied law at the University of Vienna and graduated at the Law School in 1897 with the academic degree 'Dr. jur.'. 
He married Hermine Bruell in 1900. In 1902 he was promoted lecturer ('Privatdozent') for Roman civil law at the University of Vienna. Later he was also promoted lecturer for commercial law. He was appointed ao. Professor in 1906 and o. Professor for commercial law in 1915 and was also dean of the Law School in 1926/27.
He was active against the growing anti-Semitism at the University of Vienna in the interwar period, e.g. against the " Gleispachsche Studentenordnung" (eacted in 1930) and argued for its removal. Josef Hupka was persecuted in times of Nazism as a Jew lost his position and was thrown out of the university (retired by force) in 1938. On March 31st, 1939 he was also deprived of his retirement pension. Together with his wife he was able to emigrate to the Netherlands via Zurich/Switzerland. Several attempts to flee from there to England, France or the United States failed.
In 1943, the couple was arrested in Amsterdam and deported to Theresienstadt ghetto, where Josef Hupka died on April 23rd, 1944. His widow Hermine Hupka was deported to Auschwitz [Oswiecim/Poland] in 1944, where she was murdered.

Lit.: Exhibition "Bedrohte Intelligenz – Von der Polarisierung und Einschüchterung zur Vertreibung und Vernichtung im NS-Regime", Vienna 2015; DEGENER 1935; GOEPPINGER 1990; OEBL Vol. 3 1965; Klaus TASCHWER, Hochburg des Antisemitismus. Der Niedergang der Universität Wien im 20. Jahrhundert, Wien 2015; WININGER Vol. 3 1928.

 

Katharina Kniefacz