Harper G

The Uncovering of Ravensbrück 

Harper Gilroy 

Yarmouth High School, Grade 10

The Unsung Hero I chose is Caroline Ferriday, I chose her because of her heroic actions. After she had learned about the horrible events happening at the Ravensbrück concentration camps, she knew that she had to take steps in order to give the women help that they deserved. At these camps the women were forced by Nazi’s into inhumane conditions; these women were then known as lapins (rabbits) and they were treated as lab animals. Caroline Ferriday was appalled by the conditions so she brought the women to the public light and gave 35 women a chance to travel to the United States receiving surgeries and treatments, and living with host families. Her story inspires me so much because, despite living in a completely different nation, she ensured that the women got the support that they deserved, by reaching out to an American Journalist from the saturday post, to express the catastrophic events happening in the Ravensbrück.  

The most important part about my Unsung Hero is how she brought the horrors of the concentration camps to the public and gave them the medical access they were in desperate need of. I really wanted to express the women in my artwork and to do this I am highlighting them and creating a violet-red background demonstrating hope. I also wanted to express how she brought them to the public by contacting a journalist to create an article. Not only did she reach out to American Journalists, the result of the article is what allowed 35 of the surviving women to travel to the United states. Caroline herself hosted four of the women for Christmas time, and she continued to stay in contact with many of them until she passed away in 1990; this makes me admire her so much more. 

To express my Unsung Hero’s character traits and actions, I painted a side profile of Caroline Ferriday to give the impression that she was bringing the women to the general public. The women lay at the bottom of the right side, indicating both their significance and their concealment. To portray the effect that Caroline Ferriday left on the world, sayings that have been written about her and her achievements are arranged around her head. The reason the women are in muted colors, grays, whites, and blacks, is to represent horrible and awful experiences they were put through. Caroline Ferriday’s hand is seated above the four women, both the hand and the cloth symbolize Ferriday, relieving some of their burdens. The women’s background is violet, a color that stands for hope and inspiration. I made sure to highlight all of Caroline Ferridays noteworthy qualities and outstanding actions. 

By creating this piece of art I have learned about the Ravensbrück concentration camps and the horrors that took place. Caroline Ferriday is a hero who has not been recognized enough. To share my artwork, I will present it at the Merril Memorial Library, as well as show it to my family and friends and tell the story of Carolie Ferriday. I really enjoyed working on this project and piece of artwork, as well as learning about Caroline Ferriday, and the Ravensbrück women. I am so incredibly inspired by the outstanding empathy and amount of help Caroline Ferriday has brought to the women in the horrific conditions. She has taught me that no matter where you are in the world, there is always a way to help others. Caroline has touched so many people with the amount of effort she put into helping out the women, and I strongly admire her work. Having completed this artwork, I feel more confident that I can make a significant impact on the world we live in, thanks to the dedicated and exceptional Caroline Ferriday.