Blue plaque in Bloomsbury to honour rescue of Czech refugees

The Unveiling of a blue plaque honouring Czeck refugee rescue organisations, at Goodenough College (Photo: Adam Soller)[Missing Credit]

The event comes as part of AJR’s nationwide Blue Plaque Scheme, which has honoured a number of Jewish refugees’ contributions to British society since unveiling its first plaque for Nobel Prize-winning biochemist, Sir Hans Krebs, in 2013.

Other refugees and Holocaust survivors at the ceremony were John Fieldsend, who escaped Nazi persecution with the aid of Sir Nicholas Winton, and Lydia Tischler, a survivor of Auschwitz and Theresienstadt concentration camps, whose family were directly assisted by the Czech Refugee Trust.

The plaque honours the humanitarian efforts of workers such as Doreen Warriner OBE and Trevor Chadwick, who worked closely with Winton to organise the Czech Kindertransport, and other volunteers who facilitated refugees’ rescue and resettlement.

“These plaques tell part of the story of one of the most important waves of migration to Britain,” Frank Harding, AJR trustee and founder of the AJR Blue Plaque scheme, said at the ceremony. “While much has been written about refugees from Germany and Austria, less is known about those who fled the former Czechoslovakia. This plaque honours not only the refugees themselves, but also those whose courage, determination and humanity helped bring them to safety.”

(l-r) Lord Alfred Dubs, Lydia Tischler and John Fieldsend gather for AJR blue plaque unveiling at Goodenough College (Photo: Adam Soller)[Missing Credit]

Harding added: “At a time when antisemitism is once again rising across society, it is more important than ever that we celebrate and recognise the extraordinary contribution Jewish refugees made to Britain. These plaques ensure that their achievements, resilience and humanity remain visible in our public spaces, reminding future generations not only of what was lost through persecution, but of what refugees gave back to the country that offered them sanctuary.”

The Hon Alice Walpole OBE, director of Goodenough College, a residential community of international postgraduate students, said: “Goodenough College is honoured to host this important plaque and to help preserve the memory of those organisations and individuals who worked to rescue refugees at a time of immense danger and uncertainty. Bloomsbury has a rich history as a place of sanctuary, scholarship and internationalism, and we are proud to be part of that continuing story.”

Among those honoured with an AJR blue plaque are Sir Ludwig Guttmann, founder of the Paralympic movement, Rabbi Leo Baeck and Otto Schiff, who started the Jewish Refugees Committee (JRC) in 1933.