Holocaust survivor tells of his terrible experience (From Sutton Guardian)

Holocaust survivor tells of his terrible experience

1:40pm Tuesday 14th April 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(1)

A Holocaust survivor who escaped to Britain as a teenager has shared his tragic experiences with students at Wallington County Grammar School.

Harry Bibring, 83, escaped Nazi-occupied Vienna on a Kindertransport train after his father’s menswear business was destroyed during Kristallnacht.

His father later died of a heart attack after being robbed while buying travel tickets and his mother was deported to the Sobibor death camp in Poland in 1942.

Last week Mr Bibring, a former manufacturing engineer, gave his testimony to pupils as part of a visit organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET).

Peter McKean, head of history at Wallington County Grammar, said: “It was a privilege for us to welcome Harry Bibring to our school and his testimony will remain a powerful reminder of the horrors so many experienced.

“History can sometimes seem distant from our everyday experiences in 21st-century Britain, so meeting a Holocaust survivor, and a witness to the past, serves as a wonderful opportunity for students to come a little closer to the topics they have been studying.”

Karen Pollock, chief executive of HET, added: “Harry’s story is one of tremendous courage during horrific circumstances and each of us has a responsibility to ensure we honour the memory of those whose lives were lost, and take forward the lessons taught by those who survived.”

• For more on schools visit our Education section

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(1)