Rare Holocaust postcards at Sydney Expo
The Sydney Stamp & Coin Expo 2025 will feature exhibits from over 30 professional stamp and coin dealers from around the world, including rare Holocaust-era correspondence.
In a poignant intersection of philately and Jewish history, the Sydney Stamp & Coin Expo 2025 will feature rare Holocaust-era correspondence that provides a tangible link to one family’s experience during World War II.
The exhibition, on until March 23 at Wentworth Park Sporting Complex in Glebe, showcases a moving collection that includes postcards written by Meilech (Ignatz) Grunfeld, a Hungarian Jew trapped in Nazi-occupied Poland during 1942-1943.
Bruce Chadderton, an Australian stamp collector specialising in Holocaust-era correspondence, discovered postcards Grunfeld had written to his wife’s brother, Lazar Weiser, in Satmar, Hungary. One postcard contained a heartbreaking plea for help to escape occupied Poland.
“I beg of you to quickly [pay the] emigration fee so that we can get permission to leave and travel. Please do anything you can,” Grunfeld wrote to his family, unaware that his correspondence would never reach its intended recipients.
Tragically, Grunfeld was killed in or around the Bochnia Ghetto in southern Poland. His wife and three children were also murdered during the Holocaust, as were Lazar Weiser and most of his family when they were deported to Auschwitz in May 1944.
In a remarkable turn of events, Chadderton was able to connect with Sigmund “Siggy” Weiser, a Holocaust survivor who had endured Auschwitz and the death marches. Siggy was the son of one of Lazar’s sons who had survived.
During the 2018 World Stamp Championship in Jerusalem, Chadderton presented the physical postcards to Siggy Weiser and his family, providing them with direct historical documents relating to their family’s experiences during the Holocaust. While Siggy accepted one postcard, he requested that Chadderton keep the other to display in philatelic exhibits as a memorial to victims of the Holocaust.
This preserved postcard now forms an important part of Chadderton’s exhibit entitled Descent into the Abyss, which will be featured at the Sydney Stamp & Coin Expo 2025.
The exhibition also celebrates the 175th anniversary of Australia’s first postage stamps – the famous Sydney Views of New South Wales, issued in January 1850. These historically significant stamps featured a depiction of Sydney Cove, symbolising the colony’s growth and prosperity.
The four-day national exhibition brings together collectors, enthusiasts, and experts from across Australia and internationally, offering a comprehensive showcase of stamps, coins, and historical memorabilia. As the only full Australian National exhibition in 2025, the event includes the prestigious Australasian Challenge featuring competitive exhibits from Australian States and Territories, as well as New Zealand.
Visitors can explore 113 exhibits, alongside offerings from over 30 professional stamp and coin dealers from around the world. Australia Post will be selling special souvenir stamp issues throughout the weekend.
The Sydney Stamp & Coin Expo 2025 runs Thursday through Sunday with free admission. For more information, visit sydney2025.com.au
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