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The Kindertransport

What was the Kindertransport? In November 1938, there were two nights of terrible destruction and violence against all Jews across Germany and Austria that became known as the Reichskristallnacht (the night of broken glass). Following this, the British government introduced a scheme called the Kindertransport (literally, children’s transport), which allowed Jewish refugee children safe passage into the UK.

Up to 10,000 unaccompanied children and teenagers from Germany, Austria, Poland and Czechoslovakia arrived in the UK. The children were not given permanent residency in the UK and their parents were not allowed to accompany them.

The children who entered Britain as part of the Kindertransport scheme had left their family and friends. This was a difficult choice for both the Kinder (this means children in German) and their parents to make. They had no idea how long they would be in Britain and often did not know who their new family would be. For many Kinder it was the last time they saw their parents.

Harry Bibring

Harry was born in Vienna, Austria in 1925. As a boy, Harry’s hobbies included ice skating and football.

After the Germans invaded Austria in 1938, known as the Anschluss (literally the union of Germany and Austria), Harry was forced to leave his grammar school and attend a school specifically for Jewish children, which could only offer a basic education. On 10 November 1938, Harry’s father was arrested and his men’s wear business was looted and destroyed. When Harry’s father was released from jail, they realised that they had to leave Vienna. It was decided that Harry and his sister Gerta would come to England on a Kindertransport train and that his parents would follow as soon as possible. However, this never happened.

Harry’s father died of a heart attack in the van when he was taken away in November 1940, and his mother was deported to the death camp at Sobibor in Poland in 1942.

Harry’s father had arranged for Harry and his sister to be sent to England as part of the Kindertransport scheme. They were picked up by Mr.Landsman, their sponsor, on 15 March 1939 at Liverpool Street station in London. The thought that Harry might not see his family again was very upsetting and traumatic for him.

After the Second World War started in September 1939, Harry was evacuated with the school he was attending in Hackney, to Fletton near Peterborough.

After his 14th birthday, Harry returned to live in London with Mr. Landsman’s family. He began working for him in one of his shops as an errand boy. Harry later became a manager in one of Mr. Landsman’s shops but was unhappy with the job. He left it and moved into lodgings with his sister Gerta in London.

Harry found work as an apprentice toolmaker with a firm of radio manufacturers during the war. He enrolled to study at evening classes at various colleges and after about 14 years of study, Harry qualified as a Chartered Engineer with management qualifications. After working for 20 years in the engineering industry, Harry went on to become a lecturer at Middlesex University.

Harry met his wife Muriel in 1945 and they married in 1947. Today they have one son and two grandchildren. Harry is now retired and enjoys spending time with his family, gardening and travelling.

Looking back, Harry says he does not feel bitter about what happened to him, however, he does think it is important that we learn from the past to ensure that something like the Holocaust does not happen again.

Further research:

1. Find out what you can about ‘Reichkristallnacht’ or ‘Kristallnacht’ as it often known. Record you findings and share them with your class.
2. There are a number of recorded testimonies of Kristallnacht and reports from British newspapers, find some of these and produce a display.
3. Some words are in the text are highlighted, find out what these words mean and write down a description and an example. This work can be displayed for the whole class.
4. Find other testimonies from people who travelled on the kindertransport, were all the stories when they settled in the UK the same? Record your findings.

Discuss

1. The Kindertransport rescued children but left the parents behind. Many of those parents were later murdered. Discuss in small groups if you think it was right to rescue the children and leave the parents behind. Consider the following during the discussion, could the fate of the parents be predicted, how easy would it have been to support whole families, many of the children were never able to say goodbye to the parents?
2. Harry thinks it is important that young people learn about the Holocaust today, find out what you can about and discuss how important it is that it is still discussed.

• The Kindertransport (pdf)