91Èȱ¬

As the Nazi regime rose to power in the 1930s, Jews in Germany and Austria faced increasing discrimination and violence. Stripped of their citizenship, names, and the means to earn a living, many were desperate to escape and began looking for potential safe havens around the world.

Their options were few. The US only wanted refugees who could support themselves financially, which ruled most people out, and the UK would only grant entry to women who were willing to fill vacant jobs as housekeepers. Those accepted were allowed to take one child with them – but only one.

And then a rumour began to spread that there was a city whose doors were open to everyone - Shanghai in China. It was a long sea journey away from Europe but if you could get there, you could enter freely, without a visa. Many sold the last of their possessions to buy a ticket for one of the boats leaving from Genoa or Trieste in Italy. Months later they arrived in Shanghai with virtually nothing.

Fast forward to the late 1980s. After hearing stories from his grandmother, Steve Hochstadt, a historian, began tracking down and interviewing elderly German and Austrian Jews who had escaped to Shanghai, and were still alive to tell the tale. Thanks to Professor Hochstadt, and the archive he collected, we are able to give voice to some of the 20,000 people that China helped to save.

This drama-documentary is composed of the accounts of five people, taken from Steve Hochstadt’s interviews, and includes an additional description of leaving Vienna originally given by Lisbeth Loewenberg.

The words of Ernest Culman are read by Anton Lesser; Paul Reisman by Henry Goodman; Melitta Colland by Joanne Whalley; Trude Reisman by Samantha Spiro; and Gerard Kohbieter by Elliot Levey.

Music composed by John Biddle
Sound design by Iain Hunter.

Adapted and directed by Kate McAll
A Rhiannon Media production for 91Èȱ¬ Radio 4