Leopold Gottfried's German transit visa
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The World’s Doors were Closed to Jewish
Refugees, Every avenue of escape was explored
Queues formed at immigration offices at dawn even though they did
not open before noon. Whole days were spent getting clearances from
the police and other authorities, paying fees in order to leave,
and then turning over all remaining money to the Nazis before receiving
a temporary passport.
I don’t know how my father heard about Shanghai, but he was
very smart. “Not in the next country, or the neighbouring
countries,” he said, “but far away.” We heard
about lots of people who went away illegally to other countries
and were caught at the borders, sent back and mistreated. He said,
“We must not stay in Europe.” We had relatives in the
States, but there was no longer time. So my Dad thought about Shanghai.
For Shanghai you could still get a visa. It was a place to save
your life and that was of paramount importance to my Dad –
to get out – even if you had nothing, to save our lives.
Everyone had to have a transit visa in order to leave. My father
lined up at the consulates. These were long lines and sometimes
the SS came and took people out of the lines and dragged them away.
My husband, Hans, told me once that he lined up for a visa and it
looked hopeless. He threw a piece of paper to someone in a car and
asked to see him. He got lucky. That was at the Chinese Consulate,
but just who it was I cannot tell you.
Things moved very quickly – from the time when we decided
to go to Shanghai and when we left Austria. We had to act fast,
there was no time to wait. If there was a knock on your door, it
could be your last day.
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