King Charles commemorates the Kindertransport during Germany trip
Association of Jewish Refugees thanks the monarch for his longstanding dedication to Holocaust remembrance following conclusion of historic royal visit to Germany.
Travelling to Germany for his first state visit as King, Charles commemorated the Kindertransport – the British scheme which saved the lives of more than 10,000 German and Austrian Jewish children fleeing Nazi persecution.
Sheltering Jews during the Holocaust is also in the King’s own history. His paternal grandmother, Princess Alice of Greece, gave refuge to a Jewish family in her palace when the Nazis invaded the country in 1943 until they withdrew the following year – a period during which the vast majority of Greek Jews were killed.
Maria Ault, who travelled from Hamburg to the UK on the Kindertransport in 1939 commented: “It is deeply moving to see King Charles pay his respects at the Kindertransport Memorial Hamburg, 85-years since the Nazis tore my world apart. The monument marks the chance I was given to make a new life in Great Britain and forms a tangible link in the story of the refugees’ escape from Nazism and the sanctuary we received in the UK.
“So today, together with The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) and the Kinder who made their escape, I am thankful to His Majesty for his visit and personal interest in the lives of the Kinder. It is my fervent wish that his visit will help to further remembrance of the Kindertransport and the Holocaust”.
Pic. AJR
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 His Majesty for including in his itinerary to Germany a visit to the Kindertransport monument in Hamburg and for his longstanding dedication to remembrance of the Holocaust.
“As living memory of the Holocaust recedes and we grapple with its legacy, it is important to commemorate milestones such as the 85th anniversary of the Kindertransport, both to honour those whose lives were ripped apart by the Nazi regime and to combat Holocaust distortion.
“Recognising this landmark also underscores the importance of capturing and disseminating eye-witness accounts, such as those of the Kinder, one of the topics that will be discussed at The Association of Jewish Refugees international forum on Holocaust testimony at Lancaster House next month.”
The King also addressed the crowded Bundestag in the first speech delivered by a British monarch to the German parliament, remarking “I can hardly begin to express the pride I feel in the strength of the partnership between our two countries.
“Germany, her people and distinctive culture have made such a profound impact on me over so many of my previous visits. Since I first came to Germany when I was just 13 years old, I have grown to become familiar with the different corners of this remarkable land.”
The speech, mostly in German, referenced cultural hallmarks of Anglo-German relations, including an impression of Miss Sophie, the central character of the British comedy ‘Dinner for One’, a staple of German New Year celebrations.
Mr. Laufer’s address: 10760 SW 120th Street, Miami, Florida 33176, USA. USHMM No. 69286. Pic: AJR
He concluded: “Together we must be vigilant against threats to our values and freedoms, and resolute in our determination to confront them. Together we must strive for the security, prosperity and wellbeing that our people deserve. In the long and remarkable story of our two countries, there are many chapters yet unwritten. Let us fill these with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow.”
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