Letter
Номер объектаM2020/033:010
НазваниеLetter
ОписаниеHandwritten letter in German dated c. 26 February 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.
This is the first letter Leopold and Cacilie sent from Piotrkow Trybunalski Ghetto. They write to wish Herbert a Happy Birthday and to convey their dismay at not receiving more regular letters from him in Shanghai. Leopold and Cacilie also ask for the mailing address of Ingeborg's family that they might assist with their travel to Shanghai.
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
This is the first letter Leopold and Cacilie sent from Piotrkow Trybunalski Ghetto. They write to wish Herbert a Happy Birthday and to convey their dismay at not receiving more regular letters from him in Shanghai. Leopold and Cacilie also ask for the mailing address of Ingeborg's family that they might assist with their travel to Shanghai.
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
Место изготовленияPoland
Дата 1940-02-26
Наименованиеletters
Материалpaper
Размерность
- width: 207.00 mm
height: 273.00 mm
Язык
- German Piotrkow Trybunalski Ghetto to Shanghai
Letter #13
Undated c. 26 February 1940
My very dear children and Peterchen!
Dear Herbert, for your birthday I send you my heartiest congratulation with the wish that all your heart's desires can be fulfilled and you will get a great deal of pleasure from your dearest Peter, and that with dear Inge you can celebrate many many more years, and wish you with all my heart that you will always have earning opportunities so that your family can be taken care of to your satisfaction. We wonder that you did not receive our letter. We have written to you so often. We also get very little news from you and even if it is a card you could write more often. We enjoy getting all your news since we are here. Dear Herbert are you still busy, this worries us a lot so that you can take care of yourselves, but you are quiet about it you will find something, at the moment it is not possible for us to travel, I tried very hard to get the address from Lewins so that they can help us for the journey they are located in Bruxelles I must have an exact address. Spend your birthday pleasantly amongst your loved ones * stay well, again all the best, good earnings opportunities, many greetings and kisses from
Your dear Mother
Many greetings and kisses to our dear Peterchen and Family Lewin and so many greetings
My very dear children and Peterchen!
For your birthday I send you my heartiest congratulation together with the wish that on the 13th March for many many years that you can be alongside the dear Inge and Peter. Here in the Ghetto there came from Shanghai registered, to Rosentneter 2 Kl parcels and some tea maybe you can send me some tea but I think (to) Aunt Regina Pfifferling at Berlin Halensee Schonn Georgstr 12 and Aunt R. sends it to us.
Be many times greeted and kissed from
Your Father
Many greetings to my sisters and Family Lewin
Notes
Herbert's birthday is 13 March, consistent with the possible date of this letter
The address (to apply for onward travel to Shanghai?) from Inge's sister Ruth Silbermann (née Lewin) still living in Berlin
Regina Pfifferling (née Nachemstein) was Leopold's sister in Berlin
Кредитная линияSydney 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.