Josef Hupka, Prof. Dr.

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 in 1944, where she was murdered