Quote · Empire: World History
370. The First British Indians: Saving Jews In Nazi Germany (Ep 2)
Where this was said
The Indian Schindler: Rescuing Jewish Families from the Gestapo
At 33:21 · chapter starts 32:24
Anita Anand reveals the new research dimension that makes this episode remarkable: Sophia's goddaughter remembered 'dirty people' arriving at Hampton Court — people smuggled in on coal barges, cleaned, fed, and sent on their way — who she now believes were Jewish refugees helped out of Germany by Catherine. Historian Peter Bunz has been tracking what he calls the 'Indian Schindler,' and the context he provides is essential: Britain in the 1930s required a named, credible British citizen to personally guarantee every refugee would not become a burden on the state. Without that signature, the visa was refused. Catherine, with her British passport and her title, signed for at least six families — and bought a manor house in Buckinghamshire, remotely and sight unseen, to house them. It is, Anand argues, an act of pure humanity: saving lives across every barrier of colour, religion, and ethnicity. [1] — Anita Anand "British refugee policy in the 1930s required a named British citizen of standing to personally guarantee every Jewish refugee seeking entry…" 32:10 [2] — Anita Anand "Saving one life or saving 10 lives is still saving. You're saving someone's life. Somebody who's not your colour, not your religion, not yo…" 34:25
Historian Peter Bunz, who coined the term 'Indian Schindler' for Catherine, noted that Oskar Schindler saved 1,200 lives, but argued that saving even one life still counts as saving a life.
Catherine Duleep Singh purchased a manor house in Buckinghamshire — sight unseen — to serve as a refuge for the Jewish families she was sponsoring out of Nazi Germany.
In 1938, Catherine sat next to Ilse Hornstein in a Kassel doctor's waiting room. Ilse's Jewish lawyer husband had just been taken to the SS camp Sachsenhausen. Within minutes, Catherine — a perfect stranger — offered to sponsor the entire family's British visas. Wilhelm got out, the family escaped, and Sophia sheltered them at Hampton Court.
