On August 22nd, Dianne Nassau and Dennis Bluth, descendants of the former Jewish refugees in Shanghai, visited the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum. Deeply moved by the Museum's efforts to preserve historical memories, Dianne donated two pieces of historical materials related to her grandfather Richard Nassau's refuge in Shanghai: a $10 remittance from Brazil and a family letter.

Dennis noted that Shanghai provided a refuge for Jewish refugees in times of crisis. Without the shelter of this land, more than 20,000 Jewish compatriots might have been sent to concentration camps. "We descendants must always remember the generous assistance of the people of Shanghai back then."

Dennis (left) and Dianne (right) visiting the Museum

The remittance slip and letter donated by Dianne

When they learned that the Museum planned to expand its connection with the descendants of Jewish refugees and collect more historical clues, Dianne and Dennis immediately expressed their willingness to assist. Their enthusiastic response also became an important starting point for the subsequent visits of several descendants.

Michelle (front left), Benjamin (back left) and Dianne's friends getting together

After returning to Australia, Dianne enthusiastically shared her experiences from her trip to Shanghai with her friends and relatives, introducing the achievements of the Museum. During a conversation with her classmate Shirley Breiner, she was surprised to learn that Shirley's husband, Benjamin Politzer, was also a descendant of former Shanghai Jewish refugees. Benjamin established contact with the Museum through Dianne and, in October 2025, came to Shanghai with his son Steven to embark on a journey to explore their family history.

Michelle Spiro also visited the Museum upon Dianne's recommendation. Michelle's mother, Gerda Brender, had come to Shanghai 20 years ago to look for her former residence and shared many warm memories of her friendly interactions with Chinese neighbors.

A group photo of Dianne with descendants of other Jewish refugees

From Dianne's first visit to the successive arrivals of Benjamin, Michelle and others, a "relay of visits" driven by shared historical memory was officially launched. Through the voluntary sharing and active introduction of descendants of refugees, the "Memory Custodian Network" has retrieved, gathered and cherished the scattered memory fragments around the world, making this precious history increasingly complete. Dianne pledged to continue promoting the work of the Museum in Australia in the future. She said, "Establishing and maintaining contact with descendants and families around the world is a challenging task. What you have done is admirable. I hope that with our joint efforts, this history will become more influential."

Story of Seeking Refuge

Dianne Nassau's grandfather, Richard Nassau, was a hardware merchant in Vienna, Austria. After the "Kristallnacht" in 1938, he was imprisoned in Dachau concentration camp. Fortunately, he was eventually released because he held a visa to Shanghai. After leaving Vienna, he arrived in Shanghai in June 1939 and settled in Australia in 1946.

Dennis Bluth has several relatives who sought refuge in Shanghai. Two of his mother's uncles, Kurt Alexander and Bernhard Alexander, along with their families, came to Shanghai from Germany in early 1939. Kurt arrived with his wife Ella and son Fredi, while Bernhard came with his wife Elisabeth. Both families departed Shanghai for the United States between 1946 and 1947. Dennis's father's cousin, Dagobert Breitbarth, also came to Shanghai in 1939 and married Ruth Davidsohn there. They moved to Australia in 1948. Ruth's parents, Johanna and Martin, sought refuge in Shanghai before emigrating to the United States in 1947.