Letter
Object numberM2020/033:014
TitleLetter
DescriptionHandwritten postcard in German dated 26 April 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 explain that they "cannot settle down in the Ghetto and [are] out of sorts ... but [they] will remain here for a while and then come to you [in Shanghai]. Soon we will move into a private room but our address stays the same".
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 explain that they "cannot settle down in the Ghetto and [are] out of sorts ... but [they] will remain here for a while and then come to you [in Shanghai]. Soon we will move into a private room but our address stays the same".
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 1940-04-26
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 206.00 mm
height: 328.00 mm
Language
- German Piotrkow Trybunalski Ghetto to Shanghai
Letter #17
Plac Czarneckiego 3
26 April 1940
My very dear children and Peterchen!
We received your letter and thank you so much for your congratulations which came early. We wonder a lot that you don't get our mail should we send it through Berlin, We again received a parcel from Lachmanns I am quite surprised how they treat us. Dear Herbert you don't need to get anxious about us getting there as all will go well with the trip. We don't have any identification papers as all happened so suddenly. Of course we left everything there Can you send us a little bit of tea send it in a very small packet. How is your health and do you have earning opportunities. That is of course the main thing How is Peterchen doing does he go to school send us a couple of photos with all of you, have you settled in how is the climate affecting you, and how is the health of your dear mother-in-law Please give our regards. Stay real well, again all the best, good Pernosse and lots of greetings and kisses from
your Mother
(in left margin)
Many greetings and kisses to our dear Peterchen
We wish you a healthy end of the holidays
(on overleaf side)
My very dear children and Peterchen
We received your letter for Mother's birthday and see that you did not get our letters from Petrikau. I am sending this letter through your sister-in-law in Berlin and hope you will receive it. Now I have a request maybe you could send us a picture of yourselves as well as Peterchen, that is our only pleasure that we have. Maybe you can send us a little bit of tea 'as sample' without value. Because you cannot get it here
Many greetings and kisses from your Father
Many greetings to our Peterchen and Mrs Lewin
Do you have the address for Alfred Powidzer
Notes:
Cäcilie's birthday was 25 April 2
The deportation from Gniezno to Piotrkow Trybunalski came so suddenly
Inge's mother Alice Lewin
Schlussfeiertage' = 'holidays' end', probably refers Passover (Pesach) last two of eight days
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.