Prague names street after Czech Kindertransport hero Sir Nicholas Winton
Survivors honour the Briton who saved 669 Jewish children from the Nazis
Holocaust survivors came together in Prague this week to name a brand new street in honour of Sir Nicholas Winton, the British hero who organised the Czech Kindertransport at the start of the Second World War.
Stockbroker Winton was part of a dedicated group of volunteers who saved the lives of 669 mostly Jewish children who, unaccompanied, fled Nazi-occupied Prague by train to Britain and other countries.
The idea to name the new street in the Holešovice, Prague 7 area was initiated by the municipal district, in cooperation with the Memorial of Silence, based at Bubny Station, the departure point for transports carrying tens of thousands of Prague’s Jewish inhabitants to the Nazi ghettos, concentration camps, and extermination camps.
The initiative is also supported by both the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic and the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR), which delivers social, welfare and volunteer services to Jewish victims of Nazi oppression living in UK.
The new “Nicholase Wintona” thoroughfare will link the neighbourhoods of Letná and Holešovice, connecting Veletržní and Dělnická Streets, following the route of the former Prague Jewish transports to the ghettos and concentration camps from Bubny railway station.
Standing proudly alongside members of Sir Nicholas Winton’s family at the unveiling ceremony, which also marked the 85th anniversary of their safe passage to the UK, were Kinder including Alexandra Greensted, Lady Grenfell-Baines, Petr Schiller and Rev. John Fieldsend.
The new street’s naming coincides with the 85th anniversary of the last planned Winton train, which intended to carry children to safety, but was prevented from doing so, due to the outbreak of World War II on that very day. Its participants later boarded Deutsche Bahn trains, which deported them to Nazi concentration camps from Bubny station.
Lady Grenfell-Baines who travelled from Prague to the UK, as an unaccompanied child, said:“It is deeply moving to be standing here in Prague alongside fellow Winton children, 85-years since the Nazis tore our worlds apart.
“It was through the resourceful and courageous actions of Sir Nicholas Winton and colleagues, that so many Czech Jews were given the chance to make a new life in Great Britain. So today, together with The Association of Jewish Refugees, we are filled with pride to pay tribute to our saviour and a great sadness for those we had to leave behind.”
Jan Čižinský, Mayor of Prague 7 said: “In Prague 7 we are very proud that a street in our area can bear the name of this exceptional personality. At the same time, the connection between Holešovice and Letná, which we have been striving for a very long time, is the best gift for this year’s 140th anniversary of Prague 7.”
Michael Newman, AJR chief executive, said: “It is a great honour for the Association of Jewish Refugees to bring together four Winton Kinder, their families as well as several other descendants to attend this poignant dedication to Sir Nicholas Winton.
“It is hugely symbolic that his endeavours are recognised and celebrated as well as to acknowledge the heroism of many others with whom he worked. In remembering Sir Nicholas, we also honour the parents who sent away their children to an uncertain future as well as the foster families who gave sanctuary to the youngest victims of Nazi oppression.
“It is our fervent hope that this memorial will educate and instil in all audiences this vital history, and that the salvation of the Kindertransport will never again be needed.”
Petr Papoušek, Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic said: “Naming a street after Sir Nicholas Winton is not only a tribute to his legacy, but also a clear reminder of the values we must constantly uphold – compassion, courage and justice”.
The future street will be crossed by a railway corridor, following the route of the former Jewish deportations. The street bypassing the Bubny station will commemorate the stories and experiences of the child refugees, who fled Nazi-occupied Czechoslavakia, via the Kindertransport and the brave families who made the decision to send their children to Britain.
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