Shanghighlander

Foreigners of British origin who lived in Shanghai in extraterritorial areas from 1842 (due to the Treaty of Nanjing) until 1943 when a Sino-British friendship treaty was signed and their livelihood, the treaty port system, was abandoned. These "Shanghailanders" were a minority in the International Settlement in Shanghai, nevertheless they governed it as they were still connected to the British Empire. They elected their own "Shanghai Municipal Council" and employed their own "Shanghai Municipal Police Force".

During World War II these extraterritorial zones like the French Concession or the International Settlements were the only place left for Jews to emigrate to without visa, certificate of profession or capital required. Thus, at that time a community of about 18.000 Jews – ca. 14,000 German and 3,000 Austrian – formed. Like other Jewish refugees they were able to flee the Third Reich too, but weren't allowed to enter other countries, except for Shanghai: The Port of Last Resort.

After WW2 most of these refugees tried to leave Shanghai. The majority emigrated to the US or Israel.

Famous Shanghailanders

• Werner Michael Blumenthal
• Peter Finkelgruen
• Fritz Hungerleider
• Ayya Khema
• Jakob Rosenfeld
• Franziska Tausig
• Eva Ungar Grudin
• Margot Fonteyn
• J.G. Ballard

See also

• Shanghai Ghetto

References

Bickers, Robert (1998): 'Shanghailanders: The Formation and Identity of the British Settler Community in Shanghai 1843-1937'. In: Past and Present.