Haas was in no sense a nationalist. On the contrary, he was a Weltbürger, a citizen of the world. A state citizenship, documented by a passport, was, however, a critical condition for survival for any emigre. Statelessness was a fear that haunted refugees and exiles. (Cf. nr 4, chapter 'notes and references')

By birth Haas was a citizen of the Austro-Hungarian empire. After die collapse of the Danube monarchy, his native city of Prague became the capital of independent Czechoslovakia and his nationality became Czech. He was, however, a German-speaking Czech, who repeatedly affirmed his love for the German tradition he had inherited. Intellectually, he was at home in Berlin. Fascism, however, forced him to emigrate to India, where he used the Czech version of his name Vilem Haas. In India he became His Majesty's subject and returned to Germany with this legal identity. Only in 1950 did he formally adopt German citizenship. (Cf. nr 5, chapter 'notes and references')

By 1932 it had become clear to Haas that he would have to leave Germany which was in the grip of Fascist domination. He returned to Prague in 1933, where he worked as editor and script-writer. After Hitler's entry into Prague he decided to leave Europe. Although there was the possibility of getting an American visa, he chose instead to accept the offer of his friend Walter Kaufmann, the composer, who was already in India working with the All India Radio in Bombay. (Cf. nr 6, chapter 'notes and references')

Through the mediation of Paul Claudel, Haas was able to go from Prague to the south of France, where he could meet some of his friends from Prague, among them Franz Werfel. He reached Bombay in June 1939, where a post as a scenario-writer with Bhavnani Productions was waiting for him. A film version of Ibsen's Ghosts, The Legend of the Dead Eyes, which he called an 'Indian religious village story of my own invention' and a scenario Kanchan, in which the actress Leela Chitnis played the leading role, were the creative results that Haas mentions. (Cf. nr 7, chapter 'notes and references')

He also collaborated with Kaufmann on two operas, which were apparently produced by All India Radio. In addition Haas wrote a large number of essays and sketches on a wide range of topics such as the question of Hindu widows or German Jews, which were published in Indian journals. Of special interest are an anthology of German poetry in English translation titled Germans beyond Germany' (1942), an essay on Kafka and a series of articles 'On Teaching German Literature' published in the Punjab Educational Journal (1944/45). (Cf. nr 8, chapter 'notes and references')