German federal parliament president pays respects at Kindertransport memorial
On 85th anniversary of the 'Children's Transport', Bärbel Bas thanks the UK for "having saved more than 10,000 persecuted Jewish children from the prospect of being murdered"
The president of the German Bundestag (federal parliament) visited the Kindertransport (Children’s Transport) monument at Liverpool Street Station.
The visit coinciding with the 85th anniversary of the Kindertransport, Bärbel Bas, representing the national parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany, placed a stone beside the famous memorial statue, in the presence of Kinder and their families.
Also in attendance were representatives from The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR), World Jewish Relief, as well as Lord Eric Pickles, special envoy for post-Holocaust issues of the UK government.
The Kindertransport was a unique humanitarian rescue programme which ran between November 1938 and September 1939. Approximately 10,000 children, the majority of whom were Jewish, were sent from their homes and families in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia to Great Britain.
AJR, the leading national charity exclusively delivering social, welfare and volunteer services to Jewish victims of Nazi oppression living in UK, arranged for Kinder including – Kurt Marx BEM, Susie Barnett BEM, Rolf Penzias, Ingeborg Hamilton and Dame Stephanie Shirley, to attend the London tribute.
President of the German Bundestag, Bärbel Bas, said: “We must never lose sight of the past, that is my firm conviction. When we talk about the future, we must be conscious of history. That is why it was so important to me, amidst the many current political discussions, to also come here during my visit to London in order to remember the persecution of the Jews by Nazi Germany, and at the same time to thank the UK for having saved more than 10,000 persecuted Jewish children from the prospect of being murdered. We remain indebted and immensely grateful to organisations such as the Association of Jewish Refugees and World Jewish Relief for the important contribution they continue to make today. I am deeply moved to stand at the Kindertransport memorial with some of the children who were rescued 85 years ago, to talk with them, and to remember what happened to them.”
Kurt Marx, one of the Kinder who arrived in the UK, via Kindertransport, from Cologne, Germany in 1939 said: “It seems incredible that I’m standing here, alongside the President of the German Bundestag, 85-years after being forced to flee my home, to seek refuge in Great Britain. In a climate of rising Holocaust distortion, it is so important that the first generation stand alongside today’s German Government to remember the atrocities of Nazi genocide”.
Michael Newman, CEO, The Association of Jewish Refugees said: “As the national organisation representing and supporting Holocaust refugees and survivors, we are immensely grateful to President Bas for including this visit in her itinerary. It is an important symbol of reconciliation and helps strengthen links today between The AJR, the former refugees and Germany.”
For more information about Association of Jewish Refugees visit ajr.org.uk
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.