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Temporary travel document in lieu of passport for stateless persons and persons of undetermined nationality. Issued to Alex Nypl on 15 September 1948

Date1948

Object numberANMS0286[005]

NamePassport

MediumPaper, ink.

DimensionsOverall: 138 × 105 mm, 0.05 g

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Alex Newman

Terms

München

DescriptionAlex Nypl's temporary passport with Commonwealth of Australia visa permitting travel to Australia and the countries in direct transit. Issued by the Allied Military Government of Germany on 15 September, Alex Nypl left Europe in November, arriving in Melbourne in December 1948.HistoryAlex Nypl, aged 27, fled Czechoslovakia after the Communist takeover in February 1948. The Allied Military Government for Germany issued him with provisional travel document on 15 September 1948 to allow him to travel to Australia and countries in direct transit containing his required visas. On the 16th of October of that year he obtained a visa to travel to Australia (valid for twelve months) from a continental port. He had been interviewed at the displaced persons camp at Lugwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, in the American zone of occupation. The other visas in the document are his Military Exit Permit, single journey, allowing him to leave Germany, and his transit visa through Austria issued by the French military government there on the 18th of October. In November he travelled by train from Lugwigsburg to Genoa, via Austria, to depart on the SS PROTEA leaving on 16 November 1948 for Melbourne.Significance'In two days, I will be celebrating anniversary of 40 wonderful years in this lovely country and I will always be grateful to the Commonwealth of Australia and its people, for giving me the opportunity to start new life here, after the horrific years of Nazi occupation in
1938-1945 and then again the Communist putch in February 1948 and persecution and jail one had to go through, which has hurt lot more as it has been inflicted by our own countrymen and in many cases by friends.

The start over here, not speaking the language, not having any trade or profession,without a penny to my name, has not been easy, but with hardwork and learning English quite quickly, I had a good life, have made a lot of Australian friends and consider Australia home'.

Alex Newman (Nypl), 20 December 1988, letter to the Australian National Maritime Museum.