On June 24 and 25, Mark Nussbaum, a descendant of Shanghai’s Jewish refugees from Melbourne, Australia, visited the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum for two consecutive days. Mark also shared his family’s connection to Shanghai in an interview with Shanghai Radio.

In December 1938, Mark’s grandparents, Alfred Nussbaum and Herta Nussbaum, fled Austria, departing Italy by ship and arriving in Shanghai in January 1939. Mark’s aunt, Evelyn Skall (daughter of his grandmother’s sister), and his father, Harry Jacob Nussbaum, were born in Shanghai in 1943 and 1945, respectively. In December 1946, the family left Shanghai aboard the ship Hwalian, arriving in Australia in January 1947, where they settled in Melbourne. Mark’s grandparents have since passed away.

Evelyn (fourth from left, back row) with her family in a group photo

At the museum’s Wall of Names, Mark found the names of his grandparents, his grandmother’s siblings, and even his great-grandparents. He mentioned that some distant relatives also sought refuge in Shanghai, though their full names have been lost to time.

Mark locating his ancestors’ names on the Wall of Names

In 2002, Mark’s aunt Evelyn revisited Shanghai with her mother, Lily Skall. Guided by Evelyn’s Shanghai birth certificate and some family photos, they retraced their steps to Evelyn’s birthplace and the areas where they once lived. Mark and his family believe that both Evelyn and his father, Harry, were born in the same hospital — the privately-run Changyang Clinic, located at 138 Lane 12, Changyang Road, Hongkou District.

Evelyn, now 82 years old, is a retired professor from the University of Melbourne. According to Mark, she still remembers many details of her time in Shanghai as a refugee and has preserved a collection of old family photos from their life in the city. Both Mark and Evelyn expressed their willingness to maintain contact with the museum and contribute relevant photos and historical materials.