Letter
Object numberM2020/033:006
TitleLetter
DescriptionHandwritten letter in German dated 9 August 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.
In this letter Leopold informs Herbert that he has been offered a show business in England by a friend, Alfred Powidzer, but that he has declined the offer. He also reminds Herbert that he was fortunate to "[get] out with all of [his] limbs intact".
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 Hitler's 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
In this letter Leopold informs Herbert that he has been offered a show business in England by a friend, Alfred Powidzer, but that he has declined the offer. He also reminds Herbert that he was fortunate to "[get] out with all of [his] limbs intact".
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 Hitler's 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 1939-08-09
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 216.00 mm
height: 271.00 mm
Language
- German Gniezno to Shanghai
Letter #7
9 August 1939 (sent 14 August with Letter #8)
My very dear children and Peterchen!
Your letter No. 9 arrived and we were already quite worried to be so long without response from you. With us nothing has changed. I am not at all surprised that letter No. 3 was lost. Alfred Powidzer sent a letter from England and offered me a shoe business, but this is not for me, and he also asked after you I will send him your address or if you want his I will enclose it. Dear Herbert in my last letter I asked you how many Hebrew books did you have to leave behind, this interests me a great deal and how much of your business and furniture did you have to leave behind?? will you again get something? The important thing is that you got out with all your limbs intact, this will make the painters fellowship choke hard, enclosed is a cartoon full of lies. There is a new stamp, I am using 2 pieces on this letter. I will enclose stamps in the next letter.
Enclosed the address of Alfred Powidzer and you can write to him. Why is there such a squabble between my sisters? I don't understand it.
Nothing further today except lots of greetings and kisses
from your Father
Best wishes to the dear boy and Lewin's
Notes:
Alfred Powidzer: a friend possibly from Gniezno
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.