During the 1940’s Max Lesser ran one of the very few German-Jewish boarding houses in Bombay – in the art deco “Soona Mahal” on Marine Drive.
Word Count: 25
Soona Mahal, Marine Drive, Bombay (now Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Rd Churchgate, Mumbai).
Art Deco Mumbai. “Discover Soona Mahal along Mumbai’s Marine Drive.” Google Arts & Culture, artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/discover-soona-mahal-along-mumbai-s-marine-drive-art-deco-mumbai/FwIyI29tmcJjKg?hl=en. Accessed 1 May 2021.
Franz, Margit. Gateway India: Deutschsprachiges Exil in Indien zwischen britischer Kolonialherrschaft, Maharadschas und Gandhi. Clio, 2015.
Gangar, Amrit. The Music That Still Rings at Dawn, Every Dawn: Walter Kaufmann in India, 1934–1946. Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, 2013.
Haas, Willy. Die literarische Welt. Erinnerungen. Paul List, 1957.
Lesser, Max. “Ein Freund in Not.” Aufbau, 5 July 1946, p. 28.
Shaffer, Ernest N. [Ernst Schäffer]. Ein Emigrant entdeckt Indien. Information und Wissen, 1971.
Word Count: 90
“Elli Lesser (Brühl).” Geni, www.geni.com/people/Elli-Lesser/6000000029897399105?through=6000000029897288386. Accessed 15 May 2021.
“Max Lesser.” Geni, www.geni.com/people/Max-Lesser/6000000029897288386?through=6000000029897399105. Accessed 1 May 2021.
Grant of Natural Certificate Under the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914, to Mr Max Lesser, A German Jew (National Archives of India, New Delhi, 1946), HOME/POL(E)1946/32-331.
Naturalisation Certificate Max Lesser. From Germany. Resident in India. Certificate O3971 issued 16 April 1947 (The National Archives, Kew/UK, 1947), HO/334/256/3961.
The Times of India (Mumbai) Archive, via Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin:
http://erf.sbb.spk-berlin.de/historical-newspapers/. Accessed 30 March 2021.
Word Count: 91
Max Lesser, Elli Lesser, Willy Haas, Walter Kaufmann, Paul Zils
The former editor of Die Literarische Welt fled to Bombay in 1939. In India Haas worked as scriptwriter for Bhavnani Productions – and had further impact on modern Indian film.
Word Count: 28
Paul Zils became a central figure in the realm of the Indian documentary film history. Before his emigration to Bombay in 1945, he had worked at Ufa in Germany.
Word Count: 28
In 1934, the first refugees from National Socialism founded a Jewish aid association in Bombay called the Jewish Relief Association (JRA) to help refugees in financial and other difficulties.
Word Count: 28
The 12-year exile in Bombay shaped Walter Kaufmann’s life and work; his signature tune for All India Radio is played till today.
Word Count: 23