Germany's commissioner for the fight against antisemitism has expressed his delight to the JC that King Charles is paying tribute to the Brits and Germans who helped save Jewish lives in the Holocaust.
As part of his first official overseas state visit as monarch, King Charles and the Queen Consort today visited the Kindertransport memorial in Hamburg.
Dr Felix Klein, the Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the fight against antisemitism said he was “very pleased that King Charles is taking the time to pay attention to this important topic during his state visit to Germany.”
Between 1938 and 1939, the lives of over 10,000 desperate Jewish children were saved via the Kindertransport program, initiated by the British government.
Here, through cooperation with the British Embassy, children below the age of 17 were sent by train to the UK and taken in by schools and foster families.
“Thousands of lives were saved by the Kindertransport to England and other countries - it was not uncommon for the children to be the only survivors from their families” said Dr Klein.
“With the support of these transports, British society has shown deep humanity in the darkest of times. It is important to remember this today and to honour this outstanding example of humanity.”
Having woken up in Berlin, King Charles boarded an Intercity Express train and headed for the northern city of Hamburg on the river Elbe, Germany’s second-largest city and the largest port in the country.
Here he laid a commemorative wreath at the Kindertransport Memorial in Hamburg, which is dedicated to those who helped save Jewish children by evacuating them to safe countries including the UK.
Inaugurated in 2015 to mark the 75th anniversary of the first Kindertransport train which left the city. It was designed by Frank Meisler, a British artist and himself a survivor of the Kindertransport.
Chillingly poignant, the monument features three bronze sculptures of little children with suitcases, symbolizing the young refugees who the Nazis forces to abandon their homes and loved ones.
The bronze statues are on a base of concrete railroad ties, representing the train tracks which – for them at least – led to their salvation.
It also includes a plaque with the names of the Kindertransport children who departed from Hamburg, as well as an inscription in German and English that reads: "In memory of the children who were deported from this place to England in 1938 and 1939 in the hope of escaping National Socialism and persecution."
Speaking to the JC, Hamburg-based Jewish author and playwright Lara Nisker, who also volunteers at the Jewish Community of Hamburg, said, the visit of King Charles was a great sign of friendship.
“We are of course really happy about this, as it is a very friendly act and shows a great sense of friendship and respect towards the Jewish community”.
“And at times like this, when there is an awful war raging so close to home, it is so very important to be focusing on friendship as opposed to fighting, so we really welcome the King’s visit to the memorial.”
Here in Hamburg, the Jewish community played a role in identifying and organizing children for the Kindertransport.
They also worked closely with the British Embassy and other organizations to secure visas and transport for the children. Also involved were the Movement for the Care of Children from Germany (known as the "Movement"), the Refugee Children's Movement, and the British Jewish community.
The cost of the Kindertransport was borne by the British government and private donors, including the Quakers and the World Jewish Relief organization.
Although no precise figures exist, it is estimated that the Kindertransport program saved the lives of around 10,000 children. Memorials to the work of those who organised the transports can be found across Europe outside railways stations including Vienna's Hauptbahnhof and London's Liverpool Street.
Throughout the Shoah, however, an estimated 1.5 million Jewish children were murdered.
