Letter
Object numberM2020/033:007
TitleLetter
DescriptionHandwritten letter in German dated 14 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 Cacilie provides Herbert with an update on where various family members have emigrated: " Nanny is in Bolivia, Ruth in America and Nanny's children in England". Caciile also mentions that Alfred Powidzer has offered Leopold a "show business [in London], but he has declined the offer".
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 Cacilie provides Herbert with an update on where various family members have emigrated: " Nanny is in Bolivia, Ruth in America and Nanny's children in England". Caciile also mentions that Alfred Powidzer has offered Leopold a "show business [in London], but he has declined the offer".
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 1939-08-14
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 215.00 mm
height: 272.00 mm
Language
- German Gniezno to Shanghai
Letter #8
14 August 1939
My very dear children and Peterchen!
We received your letter today and were very happy that you are all well, that is the main thing today. Letter No. 3 was still sent to Leopold Steinhard with the 5 Coupons I think in this letter we already congratulated Peter for his birthday. How did Hugo send the dollar? We would like to (sen)d something so that the child goes to Kindergarten and will be well looked after the climate cannot be very special. You must eat plenty and you must make a good effort. We are happy that you dear Herbert are busy with G'd's help it will get even better. You must only be patient. The room must be humid dear Inge must hang the clothes in the sun a lot. They also did not get on a lot in Elbing'. You can tell all to Hanna". She must be very careful with Marta as she knows that M. has very weak nerves I would say. Do not tell Posner everything, what you earn, because he has a big mouth. Over here they already know more about you than we do, because it is all just jealousy. Only care for your dear wife and child. Your dear Father today says if he had known earlier ???? he would not have bothered about anyone what I write to you (keep) yourselves. Now I must tell you where Nanny is in Bolivia, Ruth in America, Nanny's children in England. Please write often our dear father and I could not sleep because of worry, When dear Father returns from a trip the first question is if Herbert has written, stay real well for us, also the best and lots of greetings and kisses your Mother
Many greetings and kisses for Peterchen.
Notes:
Hugo Nachemstein: Leopold's brother
Elbing (near Danzig - now Elblag, Pol) is where Leopold's sisters Marta Mendelsohn and Johanna Posner and families lived before going to Shanghai
Hanna: aka Johanna Posner
Posner: implies Johanna's husband Sally (Salomon)
Nanny Cohn: (née Weichmann) sister of Cäcilie Nachemstein (née Weichmann)
Ruth: is Ruth Nissel, daughter of Siegfried Weichmann, brother of Cäcilie
Nanny Cohn's children were Thea and David. If this letter was sent on 14 August 1939 as noted then this does not agree with David Cohn who said he left Berlin for England on an ORT arranged transport on 31 August, 1939
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.