Object numberM2001/004:012
Creator Wolfgang Fischer (author)
DescriptionNewspaper article in German by W. Fischa, from undated Shanghai newspaper. Collected by Edgar and Irene Boehm, Jewish refugees in Shanghai from 1939 until 1946 when they migrated to Australia.
Supplement to Shanghai Woche (week)
This particular single page is not dated but judging by the contents it describes conditions of fairly recent arrivals of German Jewish immigrants. The article complains about the lack of information on Shanghai in the German-Jewish Community newspapers published in Germany itself so apparently the rout of everything Jewish in Germany had not yet begun and these immigrants made it to Shanghai just in time. There is reference to a raging Japanese-Chinese War and a “political” crisis in Europe but no use of the word “war”.
Endless grievances are listed about the climate, lack of “decent” food , hygiene, sanitation, water supply. dampness causing the spread of mould, piles of rubbish everywhere ,in other words a litany of difficulties facing an immigrant from Europe, whilst acknowledging the hospitality of the Chinese authorities. No longer is the International Settlement a refuge for British, French etc populations but now also a haven for hundreds of thousand ethnic Chinese fleeing the Chinese-Japanese conflict. Recent immigrants are isolated from established older foreign residents, even the older settled Jewish Community is keeping its distance from the recent Jewish arrivals. Shanghai is described as a haven for the rough and ready, uncultured, unscrupulous business community but not for the small honest hardworking refugee except for one thing, the new immigrant will enjoy “Freedom”.
Supplement to Shanghai Woche (week)
This particular single page is not dated but judging by the contents it describes conditions of fairly recent arrivals of German Jewish immigrants. The article complains about the lack of information on Shanghai in the German-Jewish Community newspapers published in Germany itself so apparently the rout of everything Jewish in Germany had not yet begun and these immigrants made it to Shanghai just in time. There is reference to a raging Japanese-Chinese War and a “political” crisis in Europe but no use of the word “war”.
Endless grievances are listed about the climate, lack of “decent” food , hygiene, sanitation, water supply. dampness causing the spread of mould, piles of rubbish everywhere ,in other words a litany of difficulties facing an immigrant from Europe, whilst acknowledging the hospitality of the Chinese authorities. No longer is the International Settlement a refuge for British, French etc populations but now also a haven for hundreds of thousand ethnic Chinese fleeing the Chinese-Japanese conflict. Recent immigrants are isolated from established older foreign residents, even the older settled Jewish Community is keeping its distance from the recent Jewish arrivals. Shanghai is described as a haven for the rough and ready, uncultured, unscrupulous business community but not for the small honest hardworking refugee except for one thing, the new immigrant will enjoy “Freedom”.
Production placeShanghai, China
SubjectHolocaust, refugees, living conditions
Object namearticles
Language
- German
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mrs Dorrit Mahemoff