Harry Olmer, Holocaust survivor and Windermere Boy, dies aged 98

Harry Olmer, a Holocaust survivor who endured years of forced labour in some of the Nazi regime’s most brutal camps before rebuilding his life in Britain and dedicating decades to Holocaust education, has died aged 98.

Born Chaim Olmer in 1927 in Sosnowiec, Poland, he was the fourth of six children. After the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, antisemitic persecution intensified rapidly.

In the spring of 1940, his family fled to his grandmother’s village of Miechów-Charsznica, hoping conditions might be safer. Instead, Jewish residents were subjected to forced labour, including street cleaning, road repairs and work in German homes.

In 1942, Jews from Miechów-Charsznica and surrounding villages were expelled from their homes and held in a field for several days before a German selection. Some men and those deemed unfit for labour were shot. Women and children were deported to Bełżec extermination camp, where they were murdered on arrival. Harry, his brother and his father were among those sent to Płaszów labour camp in Kraków, where he worked on a railway line.

After a year, he was transferred to Skarżysko-Kamienna, one of the most lethal forced labour camps in occupied Poland. There, tens of thousands of Jewish prisoners were exploited in chemical factories owned by the German HASAG company. Olmer was forced to fill shells and landmines with acid – work that was both exhausting and highly toxic. Thousands died from poisoning, epidemics, starvation and exhaustion, while the SS carried out periodic selections in which weakened prisoners were shot.

In July 1944, as the Germans began their retreat, a final selection took place. Olmer was among approximately 6,000 prisoners sent onward to Buchenwald concentration camp. He was later transferred to Schlieben, a Buchenwald sub-camp attached to another HASAG factory, where he was again forced into dangerous industrial labour. In April 1945, with the Soviet Red Army advancing, surviving prisoners were sent to the Terezín ghetto in Czechoslovakia. Olmer was liberated there on 8 May 1945.

Following a period of recuperation, he arrived in Britain later that year as part of the group of child survivors known as “The Boys”, evacuated to the Lake District. Despite speaking no English on arrival, he completed his Highers in 1947, qualified as a dentist, became a British citizen in 1950, and later served in the army as a dentist. He went on to practice for decades, retiring only in 2013.

Olmer became a tireless advocate for Holocaust education, speaking widely to schools, synagogues and community groups. In 2023, he was appointed MBE for services to Holocaust education, reflecting national recognition of his contribution to remembrance and testimony.

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “Harry was one of the most determined and tenacious men I knew. He believed profoundly in the power of education, sharing his testimony in schools across the country for decades.”

She added: “Harry was devoted to his community, guided throughout his life by a deep commitment to Judaism.”

Reflecting on his impact, Pollock said: “Harry’s charming but cheeky smile allowed him to instantly connect with young people in ways few others could. He always had something very important to share.”

She concluded: “Harry was in the truest sense of the word, a mensch – one of the kindest people I will ever meet. I will miss him deeply. May his memory be a blessing.”

Lauren Libbert, My Voice London Project Lead, said: “Harry Olmer MBE, 98, was a heavyweight in the world of Holocaust education and his loss will be felt deeply, not only by his family, but by the many people his life touched.”

She described Olmer as “fiercely intelligent, kind, warm and funny”, adding: “His sparkle and zest for life, even into his 90s, was legendary.”

In June 2024, through The Fed’s My Voice project, Olmer’s life story was published in a book titled My revenge on Hitler is my family, documenting his experiences “so that it could be used as an educational tool for years to come.”

Speaking about the book, Olmer said: “I’m so pleased that all the details of my life story are now written and recorded in a book. Not everyone knew about my full story – my family, where I came from, what happened to me – and I want future generations to know exactly what happened and to hear it in my words, in my voice.”

Cate Hollis, executive director of Voices of the Holocaust, said: “The loss of Harry is a loss for us all. He was a truly beautiful and inspirational man and we mourn, alongside his amazing family that he created who love him beyond measure.

“Words don’t come easily at a time like this; when someone so beautiful, brilliant and special is no longer with us. His legacy will resonate forever; through his family, through his Holocaust education work and through his conviction and determination that the world must learn.”

Paying tribute, Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet of Mill Hill Synagogue said: “Thank you very much Chaim, for setting such a beautiful example of what it means to be a proud Jew. Thank you for your resilience, your encouragement, and your friendship over more than three decades.”

Recalling their final encounter, Rabbi Schochet said Olmer’s last words to him were “a shainem dank” – a Yiddish word for “thank you very much” – spoken, he said, with characteristic warmth despite his failing strength.

Rabbi Schochet added: “Anglo-Jewry bids farewell to a true legend. The Mill Hill community bids farewell to a real tzadik… Indeed, we all bid farewell to a real mensch.”

Harry Olmer is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren. Further tributes from across the Jewish community and beyond are expected to follow.