English

MYP Kindertransport Event

During module 5, Year 9 students were provided with the prestigious opportunity to delve deeper into the harsh realities of the Kindertransport rescue effort. It was an organised effort to rescue many Jewish children in Germany, and Nazi occupied territories, from the inhumane treament imposed on the Jewish community by the ruling Nazi regime. This began in the year leading up to World War II and lasted until 1940. The events of Kristallnacht - when the Nazis attacked property belonging to the Jewish community - on the 9th and 10th November 1938 heavily influenced the decision to evacuate the children.

To assist us in gaining a deeper understanding of the Kindertransport, both Year 9 students and teaching staff were able to attend a Zoom call with a married couple, who as children experienced the evacuation first hand; they were part of it. By attending the call, we were supplied with two differing perspectives of the evacuation process. The married couple (named Bob and Anne) were both evacuated to England from Germany. If they had remained in Germany, under Nazi rule, their lives undoubtedly would have turned out differently. It is possible that they may have been condemned to concentration camps, or even death camps, by the oppressive regime that clouded Nazi Germany. They have resided in England ever since they were evacuated as children.

A despairing aspect of the Kindertransport is that after being evacuated to England, neither Bob nor Anne were able to see their parents again. Anne’s last encounter with her parents was as her train passed through the station following the one she boarded at, her parents watching anxiously from the platform. She stated that she saw her parents waving at her as the train passed through; that was the last time she saw them. After Bob arrived in England, he maintained written contact with his father, but after a while, the letters stopped. His father was supposedly killed in a concentration camp back in Germany.

These compelling, yet mournful recitations of the Kindertransport effort highlight the harrowing atrocities committed by the Nazi regime upon multiple minority groups. The eerie silence that descended upon my class throughout the Zoom call emphasised just how deeply sympathetic we felt towards Bob and Anne. They understandably spoke with great emotion and portrayed their experiences in a way that resonated with us all. The current generation, and generations to follow, will be shocked and appalled for many years to come by the Nazi regime’s barbaric treatment of minority groups; which is why this was such a prestigious opportunity for us all that may never arise again.

I can guarantee that I speak on behalf of all of Year 9s by saying that we are appreciative towards Bob and Anne for their kindness and bravery to recall their truly chilling experiences. We fully acknowledge that the Kindertransport, the Nazi regime and all that entailed has had an irrevocable impact on their lives.

Written by Samuel W, Jupiter Year 9