Journey to Shanghai
Object numberM2017/007:092
TitleJourney to Shanghai
DescriptionThis photograph depicts Hermann Elter, a Polish-Jew on board an unknown ship to Shanghai, China in 1939. Unknowingly he had escaped the Holocaust in central Europe. The passage dates from 1939 – see: M2017/007:088.
His daughters, Gertrude and Edith along with his wife, Regine accompanied him on this journey to escape the ensuing persecution of Austrian-Jews in Vienna, Austria. During 1938-9, as other countries borders were closed, German and Austrian Jews were encouraged to immigrate to Shanghai, China as it was the only open port. This was the direct result of the Austrian Anschluss, the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany on the 12 March 1938.
European Jews travelled to Italy where they would be ferried on liners to Shanghai, for internment into the Shanghai ‘ghetto’ district. Hermann had lost all rights to citizenship and land ownership in Vienna, losing his two 5 Wimmergasse properties to the Nazi regime. See: M2017/007:017 and M2017/007:018.
The name of the ship is unknown; this item comes from a deceased estate collection.
His daughters, Gertrude and Edith along with his wife, Regine accompanied him on this journey to escape the ensuing persecution of Austrian-Jews in Vienna, Austria. During 1938-9, as other countries borders were closed, German and Austrian Jews were encouraged to immigrate to Shanghai, China as it was the only open port. This was the direct result of the Austrian Anschluss, the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany on the 12 March 1938.
European Jews travelled to Italy where they would be ferried on liners to Shanghai, for internment into the Shanghai ‘ghetto’ district. Hermann had lost all rights to citizenship and land ownership in Vienna, losing his two 5 Wimmergasse properties to the Nazi regime. See: M2017/007:017 and M2017/007:018.
The name of the ship is unknown; this item comes from a deceased estate collection.
Production date
Production periodpost World War II
Subjectrefugee experiences in Shanghai , Anschluss (13 March 1938), passenger ships, victims, refugee experiences in Shanghai
Object namephotographs
Materialpaper
Techniquephotography
Dimensions
- photograph length: 54.00 mm
height: 72.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Len Mahemoff