Exile in Shanghai
Cilly Kugelmann talks to W. Michael Blumenthal and Horst Eisfelder (audio recording available, in German)
W. Michael Blumenthal and Horst Eisfelder have in common the time they spent in the Chinese harbor town Shanghai, the last place of refuge for 18,000 German Jews.
Under Japanese occupation between 1937 and 1945, Shangai was one of the few places across the globe which, after the annexation of Austria and November Pogroms allowed refugees to enter without a visa. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and America joining the war, the living conditions of the stateless asylum seekers in Shanghai worsened, who were forced to live in a closed district from 1943.
recording available
Where
Old Building, level 2, Great Hall
Lindenstraße 9–14, 10969 Berlin
After the war, most went on to the USA, Israel, and other countries. Michael Blumenthal and Horst Eisfelder experienced this time – terrible for parents in particular – from the teenager’s perspective.
This evening focuses on their experiences during these years.
Audio recording of the talk, in German; Jewish Museum Berlin 2006
Audio Recordings: Listen to Past Museum Events (64)
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