Letter
Object numberM2020/033:012
TitleLetter
DescriptionHandwritten postcard in German dated 26 March 1940. This letter was written by Leopold and Cacilie Nachemstein in Piotrkow Trybunalski Ghetto, Poland, to their son Herbert, his wife Ingeborg, and their grandson Peter in Shanghai, China.
In this letter Leopold and Cacilie request regular updates about Peter and a recent photograph as they are concerned about his health in the Shanghai climate. They also explain a little more about their situation, "the Ghetto is divided and we are in Czarneskiego and Uncle H is Pilsndskiego".
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 and Cacilie request regular updates about Peter and a recent photograph as they are concerned about his health in the Shanghai climate. They also explain a little more about their situation, "the Ghetto is divided and we are in Czarneskiego and Uncle H is Pilsndskiego".
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 1940-03-26
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 206.00 mm
height: 328.00 mm
Language
- German Piotrkow Trybunalski Ghetto to Shanghai
Letter #15
26 March 1940
My very dear children and Peterchen!
In the hope that you are well, I can report the same in your letter of 4.2.1940 why did you not say one word about dear Peterchen, so we were very worried and I wrote quickly to your sister-in-law, and asked if Peterchen is well as I get a quicker answer from Berlin and I was thrilled with the answer. If it would be possible I want very much to ask you to send in the next letter a photo especially of the dear boy. Which would make us very happy. What are my sisters doing over there? Please give my regards. It will be 7 months on 24.4.1940 that Uncle N. and the boys have been gone. The week before Aunt Selma and the two children went from Piotrkow to Warsaw, out of the Ghetto, I don't know what they will do there what should I do there, I am staying in the Ghetto for the time being,
Be many times greeted and kisses from
Your Father
A special greeting to our dear Peterchen. Greetings to Mrs Lewin
(in left margin) We did not get the letters that were sent to Gnesen, maybe they came back to you. So please write often, and again be greeted and kissed
Your Father
(on overleaf side) My very dear children and Peterchen!
Hopefully you will have received our letter and we wonder that we don't get much mail from you. Why did you not mention a word about the boy I have to write and say what good-hearted persons the Lachmann's are, they sent us 20 Zi and a wonderful parcel Martha Tinner sent us things several times Why don't you send the child to the play school sell the watches so that the child can progress How do you feel anyway do you have earning opportunities which is the main thing that is why we worry so much about you. Martha T. wrote her brother's two children are also where you are. We wish you an agreeable Purim festival and at the same time a healthy Passover (Pesach) feast write us often which we have repeatedly asked for can you send pictures of you. We wish you all the best, good health, good Pernosse and many greetings and kisses from
Your dear Mother
Many greetings and kisses for Peterchen
(top margin of overleaf side - in Leopold's handwriting)
My very dear Children!
Just now we got your Postcard No. 20 of 19 February 1940 I am completely out of sequence and we are together with Uncle Heinrich, but the Ghetto is divided and we are in Czarneskiego and Uncle H is Pilsndskiego but we don't get (? left margin) together, because H. denounced me for (having) Zloty and still has a big mouth. So again my dear children please write a word about Peter in every letter as we are thrilled to hear something about the boy.
Notes:
Nathan Nachemstein and sons Hans and Dieter
Deportation List to Petrikau (Piotrkow) Trybunalski on 13 Dec 1939 (obtained from Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw), also listed Nathan's wife Selma Nachemstein with her daughter Rezi (Rozalia) 15, and son Siegfried, 13 - all from Hohensalza (Inowroclaw)
Julius and Paula Lachmann (née Weichmann) sister of Cäcilie
Zl = Zloty (Polish currency)
Misspelling of Tintner - a possible cousin or friend whose maiden name was Czollek and was born in Pakosc where Cäcilie was also born
Purim: the Jewish festival during which the Megillah (Scroll) of Esther is read
Passover (Pesach): commemorating the Exodus of Jewish slaves from Egypt accompanied by the Seder (feast)
The Postcard was not dated as shown by the copy of the original, so the stamped date in Shanghai is taken
Cäcilie's brother Heinrich Weichmann
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.