Letter
Object numberM2020/033:001
TitleLetter
DescriptionHandwritten letter in German dated c. May 1939. This letter was written by Leopold and Cacilie Nachemstein in Gniezno, Poland, to their son Herbert, his wife Ingeborg, and their grandson Peter in Shanghai, China.
This letter is wishing the family safe travels to Shanghai, but also notes Cacilie and Leopold's regret at not speaking with their grandson, Peter, on the phone before they departed.
This letter is part of a collection donated by Peter Nash (Nachemstein). The letters document his family's migration to Shanghai, where approximately 18,000 European Jews relocated from 1938 to 1941. Many of these refugees continued on to Australia and the United States at the end of the War.
Peter's maternal grandfather refused to leave Berlin during Hitlers rise to power. As a World War I veteran who had fought for the former Kaiser, he firmly believed that the Nazis would never harm him. Soon after Kristallnacht, in November 1938, Peter's parents, Herbert and Ingeborg, received an eviction notice from the owners of their apartment in Berlin. It stated, "Under the principles of the Nazis it is not acceptable for Aryan tenants to live under the same roof with Jews. We therefore demand that you vacate the premises."
The family chose not to vacate immediately as they were unable to obtain entry visas to another country. On hearing that Shanghai did not require an entry visa, Peter, Herbert, Ingeborg, her parents Isidor and Alice, and her brother decided to leave Berlin. The family travelled by train to Genoa, Italy in April 1939, before boarding the German steamship SS Scharnhorst. Peter recollected that his maternal grandfather was devastated to leave Germany, but that unlike dozens of other family members, their lives were saved by their decision to leave. Sadly, Peter's grandfather died one month after reaching Shanghai, after suffering complications from a heart attack before the journey.
Herbert's parents, Leopold and Cacilie were still living in Poland in 1939 and did not want to emigrate. Soon after Germany occupied Poland, Peter's grandparents were sent to Piotrkow Trybunalski ghetto, along with over 300 other Jews. Herbert and Inge exchanged letters with them throughout 1940 until April 1941, after which they never heard from them again. In late 1942, all the remaining inmates of Piotrkow Trybunalski were transported to Treblinka and murdered.
"My parents rarely spoke about Europe or our lives there. What I know I mostly learned from many artefacts they brought with them to Shanghai, then to Sydney, such as letters, certificates and photos. My father also made carbon copies of his typed letters, from which I learned about myself in Shanghai to the age of six. One of his parents' letters suddenly had a different return address, which meant my grandparents had been sent to a ghetto." - Peter Nash
This letter is wishing the family safe travels to Shanghai, but also notes Cacilie and Leopold's regret at not speaking with their grandson, Peter, on the phone before they departed.
This letter is part of a collection donated by Peter Nash (Nachemstein). The letters document his family's migration to Shanghai, where approximately 18,000 European Jews relocated from 1938 to 1941. Many of these refugees continued on to Australia and the United States at the end of the War.
Peter's maternal grandfather refused to leave Berlin during Hitlers rise to power. As a World War I veteran who had fought for the former Kaiser, he firmly believed that the Nazis would never harm him. Soon after Kristallnacht, in November 1938, Peter's parents, Herbert and Ingeborg, received an eviction notice from the owners of their apartment in Berlin. It stated, "Under the principles of the Nazis it is not acceptable for Aryan tenants to live under the same roof with Jews. We therefore demand that you vacate the premises."
The family chose not to vacate immediately as they were unable to obtain entry visas to another country. On hearing that Shanghai did not require an entry visa, Peter, Herbert, Ingeborg, her parents Isidor and Alice, and her brother decided to leave Berlin. The family travelled by train to Genoa, Italy in April 1939, before boarding the German steamship SS Scharnhorst. Peter recollected that his maternal grandfather was devastated to leave Germany, but that unlike dozens of other family members, their lives were saved by their decision to leave. Sadly, Peter's grandfather died one month after reaching Shanghai, after suffering complications from a heart attack before the journey.
Herbert's parents, Leopold and Cacilie were still living in Poland in 1939 and did not want to emigrate. Soon after Germany occupied Poland, Peter's grandparents were sent to Piotrkow Trybunalski ghetto, along with over 300 other Jews. Herbert and Inge exchanged letters with them throughout 1940 until April 1941, after which they never heard from them again. In late 1942, all the remaining inmates of Piotrkow Trybunalski were transported to Treblinka and murdered.
"My parents rarely spoke about Europe or our lives there. What I know I mostly learned from many artefacts they brought with them to Shanghai, then to Sydney, such as letters, certificates and photos. My father also made carbon copies of his typed letters, from which I learned about myself in Shanghai to the age of six. One of his parents' letters suddenly had a different return address, which meant my grandparents had been sent to a ghetto." - Peter Nash
Production placePoland
Production date 1938-04-23
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 216.00 mm
height: 273.00 mm
Language
- German Gniezno to Shanghai
Letter #1
Undated c. 23 April 1939
My very dear children and Peterchen!
Hopefully this letter finds you in best health and we were happy that we could speak to you on the telephone, always write to us as soon as you stop off somewhere, at least a card. If you meet up with my sisters there pass on our greetings and write if you met them and what they are doing there.
Please write soon as we are very worried.
Stay really well and regards to Peterchen and all acquaintances.
Your Father
My very dear children and Peterchen!
We were very happy that we could at least speak to you, it would have been even more comforting if we had seen you all again. Dear Inge you wrote that we should not be upset, but for a person with a heart and mind the issue is not that easy as we are no longer that young, I did not think that Father would get so upset, one thing that we regret terribly is that Peter and your dear parents did not come to the telephone. We will always report everything precisely to you. The very best of health and a safe trip and that you will soon find work write us from where you can so that we can calm ourselves. With greetings and kisses
Your Mother
Many greetings and kisses for Peterchen
Notes:
The Nachemstein family left Berlin by train to Genoa, Italy on 24 April 1939 and sailed on 26 April for Shanghai
Peterchen is an endearing name for Peter
Leopold Nachemstein's sisters Marta Mendelsohn and Johanna Posner and husbands already emigrated to Shanghai from Elbing, now Elblag, Poland
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Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Peter Nash
In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this archival project.