Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, Museum in Hongkou, Shanghai, China
The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum occupies a former synagogue and presents exhibitions about the lives of Jewish refugees during World War II. The rooms hold photographs, personal possessions, and documents that document this period of history.
The building started as a synagogue built in 1927 for the local Jewish community to worship. Between 1937 and 1945, it became a sanctuary where thousands of European refugees fled from persecution and found safety.
The space shows how Jewish refugees and local Shanghai residents lived side by side, sharing the same neighborhood and streets. Visitors can observe traces of this coexistence through the objects and stories displayed here.
The museum stands at 62 Changyang Road in the Tilanqiao area of Hongkou, near the junction with Zhoushan Road and beside the former Ward Road Gaol, now Tilanqiao Prison. It comprises the synagogue, two additional exhibition halls and a paved courtyard, so allow time to move between buildings. The site reopened in December 2020 after expansion from about 1,000 to more than 4,000 square metres.
A 34-metre copper memorial wall unveiled in September 2014 bears the names of 13,732 Jewish refugees who found shelter in China during World War II. The list was compiled with help from Sonja Mühlberger, who was born in the Shanghai Ghetto. The memorial statue was designed by artist He Ning.
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