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Ron Klinger (left), grandson of Rudolf Mosberg, and his wife Suzie at the doorstep of the new White Horse Inn. PHOTO BY GAO ERQIANG / CHINA DAILY |
Jews who took refuge in Shanghai during World War II return to share their stories at the re-opening of an iconic coffee house
The White Horse Inn, which used to be one of the most popular social venues of Jewish refugees in Shanghai during World War II, was re-opened on August 26 as part of the city's efforts to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.
"Everything on the ground floor is 100 percent the same, from the chairs to the paintings to the lighting," said Ron Klinger of Sydney, Australia at the re-opening day of the café. "It is like coming home."
Born in Shanghai in 1941, Klinger was among more than 18,000 European Jews who had taken shelter in Shanghai to escape Nazi persecution during the war. Klinger's grandfather Rudolf Mosberg was the person who founded the White Horse Inn in 1939.
New lease of life
The establishment was demolished in 2009 for road-widening projects and has now been restored as part of the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum. Its new location on Changyang Road is just a few steps away from the original one.
Klinger had heard about the restoration efforts in April when the Chinese Culture Center in Sydney put on an exhibition about Shanghai. He provided old photos of the café to the museum and was invited to the re-opening ceremony. Some 150 artifacts from former refugees all over the world are now being exhibited.
This is Klinger's seventh trip back to Shanghai. For him, it's also a family occasion to savor. This time round, he even got to meet two second cousins from Chicago, Susan and Julie Hess, for the first time. The Hess family had moved to the United States in 1948 after spending 11 years in Shanghai.
"Our father loved it here. The Chinese people were very good to him," said Julie.
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