IN THANKS TO BRITISH QUAKERS
for saving the lives of
10,000 Jewish and other children
from Nazi persecution
This site is based on the paper writen by Dr Jennifer Taylor in October 2009
Research Centre for German and Austrian Exile Studies,
Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies, University of London
entitled
THE MISSING CHAPTER:
HOW THE BRITISH QUAKERS HELPED TO SAVE THE JEWS OF GERMANY AND AUSTRIA
FROM NAZI PERSECUTION
as a result of the dedication of Peter Kurer
The Israeli Holocaust museum Yad Vashem, and a British university,
are to give the first recognition to British Quakers
who saved thousands of Jews from the Holocaust.
The initiative comes after an eight-year campaign by
79-year-old Jewish refugee Austrian-born Peter Kurer, from Manchester,
to convince Yad Vashem to recognise the historic rescue.
Quakers paid an estimated £350,000
(£17.5m at today's rates) in guarantees to the British government
to accept around 6,000 Jews into the UK.
They then housed and found jobs for them,
including Mr Kurer and eight of his family members
evacuated from Vienna in 1938.
Yad Vashem says the paper will now join
130 millions pages of historical documents in its library,
where it will be catalogued and made available to researchers.
The Centre for German-Jewish Studies at Sussex University
will also be studying of the rescuing effort.
In March 2010 the first ever recognition of Britons who saved the lives of Jews and other persecuted groups during the Holocaust was bestowed by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. The awards are the first to recognise the acts of civilians who showed extraordinary acts of courage during the Holocaust in order to help their fellow man.
The award, a silver medallion inscribed with the words 'In the Service of Humanity', was made to Brenda Bracey a Quaker who lobbied the British government during the 1930’s to accept persecuted Jewish refugees. Her efforts established the Kindertransport which took an estimated 10,000 mainly Jewish children from mainland Europe to Britain. (m.inthenews.co.uk)
Liverpool Street Station, London
Bronze sculpture, unveiled in September 2006,
designed by Frank Meisler
Israeli artist and former Kindertransport refugee
It is surrounded by 16 milestones
each bearing the name of a city
from where the Kindertransports departed.
Berlin Memorial
Two children stand for those saved,
five children for those murdered.
The sculpture was created by
Israeli sculptor Frank Meisler,
who was among those saved.
The memorial in Berlin was dedicated in
November 2008.
Westbahnhof Railway Station, Vienna
Unveiling of Für Das Kind- Vienna in 2008
with (l-r)
Minister of Transport Werner Fayman
Austria's Chief Rabbi. Paul Chaim Eisenberg,
artist Flor Kent and
"Kind" Sara Schreiber with her family,
including great grandson
Sam Morris who was the model for the sculpture
Friends House Courtyard
a simple, symbolic sculpture
that pays a quiet tribute to an important episode
in recent Quaker history:
House of Commons, London
Plaque unveiled
by the Speaker, Betty Boothroyd, in the Palace of Westminster
on the 14 June 1999