Holocaust survivor Ernest Simon passes away, aged 92

Holocaust educator and Kindertransport refugee Ernest Simon has died at the age of 92.

Born 26 May 1930 in the Jewish ghetto of Eisenstadt, Austria, his family moved to Vienna’s Jewish district after the Anschluss (annexation of Austria by Germany), in March 1938.

Following Kristallnacht, (The Night of the Broken Glass) on 11 January 1939 and aged just eight years old, Ernest (Ernst) was put on a Kindertransport, travelling 30 hours through Germany and the Netherlands before being put on a ship to Harwich. From there, he was taken in by a Jewish family in Leeds.

His parents and brother Kurt followed two weeks later, but the family were not able to live together again until 1941. Made a legal British citizen in 1948, Ernest served two years in the Royal Air Force, studied economics with languages at Leeds University and held various management positions at ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) in countries including Germany and Hungary.

A dedicated advocate for Holocaust education, the Association of Jewish Refugees and the Holocaust Educational Trust, he most recently spoke of his experiences in January 2022 for Holocaust Memorial Day.

He was awarded a BEM (British Empire Medal) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours alongside fellow Kindertransportee Walter Kammerling in 2019.

The Holocaust Educational Trust said they are deeply saddened at the passing of Ernest Simon BEM. “Ernest was a kind and gentle man who inspired thousands of students each year telling his incredible story. Born in Austria in 1930, Ernest witnessed the horrific events of the November Pogrom, known as Kristallnacht, which he recalled vividly for the rest of his life.

“In January 1939 he left his home, family, and everything familiar to come to the UK on the Kindertransport. Incredibly, his parents and brother were later able to join him in the UK. Ernest shared his testimony in schools across the UK week in, week out. We will miss him dearly. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.”

AJR CEO Michael Newman said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of Ernest’s passing. He was a loyal and popular AJR member, who served on our Austrian Fund committee disbursing welfare support to fellow Austrian refugees and survivors in need. He was also a committed speaker, sharing his story of fleeing Eisenstadt to come to Britain on a Kindertransport. We feel privileged to have captured his testimony as part of our Refugee Voices archive, a collection of life stories and experiences of Holocaust refugees and survivors. Through these eye-witness accounts the AJR can ensure that we keep essential lessons of history alive.”

To read excerpts of his interview please click here.