Dkfm. Meier Juda Billing

Meier Juda Billing was born the legitimate son of the Jewish merchant Feiwel Billing in Grodeck in Galicia [today: Horodok in Ukraine]. His mother must have died at an early age, especially as she is not mentioned. Feiwel Billing moves to Vienna and marries Rachel Wirth in 1919.

From 1921, his father is managing director of Weiser & Billing, a wholesale company for leather, leather goods and shoe accessories. In 1933, he became the owner of Schuhwarengroßhandel F. Billing.

After attending elementary school and lower secondary school, Meier Billing transferred to the Handelsakademie I. in Vienna's 1st district. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the University of World Trade, from which he graduated in 1932 with a degree in business administration. He then studied for a doctorate, but failed the first viva twice. He marries Sali Dier. At this time, he was probably already working as a purchasing manager for the companies Del-Ka (DELKA) and Hermes F. Hulles Schuhverkaufsgesellschaft, as well as managing director of his father's company.

On March 12, 1938, Meier Billing witnessed the demise of a free and independent Austria with the invasion of the German Wehrmacht. With the occupation of Austria, German legislation was adopted and with it the 'Nuremberg Race Laws', according to which Meier Billing was considered a 'full Jew'. The companies Del-Ka and Hermes were aryanized after the Nazis came to power and his father's company was liquidated.

The entire family, his parents, his brother and his brother's wife as well as his parents-in-law subsequently managed to obtain visas for the United States of America. On January 7, 1939, Meier and Sali Billing embarked in Antwerp on the S.S. Westerland and reached New York on January 18, 1939. The family assets are confiscated by the National Socialists or confiscated by the 'Reichsfluchtsteuer'.

Although no longer living in Vienna, a repeat of the first viva and admission to the second viva is refused on 26 January 1942 on the following grounds: 'Because Mosaic [,] not admitted to the further examinations.'

In the United States of America, Meier Billing returned to shoe manufacturing, founded the B & M Shoe Company in 1949 and subsequently a business conglomerate. He started a family, became an American citizen, called himself Max Billing and died in New York at the age of 63 as the grandfather of four grandchildren.