“Our commitment must be to remember the victims who perished, respect the survivors still with us, and reaffirm humanity's common aspiration for mutual understanding and justice.”
-- Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust
Opening of Kindertransport Exhibition at the Wiener Library
14.06.2013
On 13 June 2013, the Wiener Library in London launched the temporary exhibition "Child Refugees: Five Portraits from the Kindertransport."
The story of the Kindertransport has been told many times: in the days prior to the Second World War, approximately 10,000 children were sent away from their families in Europe in order to seek safety in Britain. In 2013, the remaining ‘Kinder’ are celebrating the 75th anniversary of their arrival in the United Kingdom. ‘Child Refugees: Five Portraits from the Kindertransport’ takes a fresh look at this significant humanitarian effort. The Wiener Library put out a call for materials in late 2012 and received extraordinary stories from surviving Kinder and their families. Five of these are highlighted in the new exhibition.
By examining the familiar images of the Kindertransport and highlighting personal stories, the exhibition rediscovers concealed histories that speak to the diverse experiences of the child refugees. From the girl who brought her brother’s coloured pencils all the way to England and later won recognition as an artist, to the table tennis champion who accompanied a class of children on a transport from Poland and never went back, no two stories are the same. The rich collection of mementos, letters and papers on display give a human face to the incredible scale of the initiative.
Admission is free, and the exhibit is open through 2 October 2013.