Jewish Museum Vienna Opens "Little Vienna in Shanghai"
The Jewish Museum Vienna opened the new exhibition "Little Vienna in Shanghai" that is dedicated to the stories of Viennese Jewish families that fled to Shanghai in the hope to live a better life. The exhibition can be seen until April 18, 2021.
The exhibition "Little Vienna in Shanghai" can be viewed in the Jewish Museum Vienna, which is located in the first district. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / HeMei / CC BY-SA 3.0 AT (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/at/deed.en)
The Jewish Museum Vienna opened the new exhibition "Little Vienna in Shanghai".
The show is dedicated to the history of Viennese Jewish families for whom Shanghai became a place of hope.
Director Danielle Spera welcomed the guests of the exhibition opening and gave an overview of the exhibition together with curator Daniela Pscheiden.
Spera emphasized:
"Together we were able to meet many great people who have confided their life stories to us and enrich our exhibition with many objects that have survived the journey from Vienna to Shanghai and back and which today often decorate the homes of children or grandchildren."
Kurt Gollowitzer, Managing Director of Wien Holding (owner of the museum), emphasized:
"The Jewish Museum Vienna is always dedicated to unknown or almost forgotten aspects of Austrian Jewish history. The new exhibition focuses on Shanghai as a little-known place of refuge for Jews and shows the challenges of life in the 'foreign homeland'."
Grischka Voss, whose father Gert Voss was born in Shanghai in 1941, read memoirs of contemporary witnesses who reported impressively on the life of the Viennese in Shanghai.
The Ambassador of the Republic of China, Li Xiaosi, spoke words of greeting for the exhibition.
Michael Landau, President of Caritas Europa, and Clemens Jabloner, former Vice Chancellor, gave insights into their family histories. The Landau and Jabloner families had helped build "Little Vienna" in Shanghai.
The ceremonial opening speech was held by Peter Hanke, City Councillor for Economics, who emphasized:
"Museums bring history closer to the people. With 'Little Vienna in Shanghai', the Jewish Museum Vienna is opening a new chapter in the Jewish history of our city and also shows in an impressive way that a piece of Vienna can be anywhere where Viennese people live together.
"Little Vienna in Shanghai" can be seen from October 21, 2020 to April 18, 2021 at the Jewish Museum Vienna.
The Jewish Museum Vienna, Dorotheergasse 11, 1010 Vienna, is open from Sunday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The second location, Museum Judenplatz, Judenplatz 8, 1010 Vienna, is open from Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (in winter) and 5 p.m. (in summer).
Further information is available at www.jmw.at/en .