Holocaust survivors meet TRH The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall in Austria
Earlier today TRH The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall met with Holocaust survivors Freddie Knoller and Harry Bibring following their tour of the Jewish Museum in Vienna.
Both Harry and Freddie speak to students up and down the country every year through the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Outreach programme.
Both Freddie, who survived former Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Harry, who came to Britain as a child on the Kindertransport, were born in Austria but rebuilt their lives in Britain after the Holocaust. You can read their biographies here.
Over a cup of tea, Harry and Freddie told The Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall about their early lives in Austria’s significant Jewish community, where 185,000 Jews resided before the Second World War.
Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust commented:
“We have all heard stories about the Holocaust but there is nothing like hearing from the survivors themselves. Harry and Freddie are inspirational people who feel a great debt of thanks to Britain, where they rebuilt their lives after the Holocaust. We are grateful to The Prince and Duchess for acknowledging the importance of Holocaust education and remembrance and for recognising the dedication of survivors like Freddie and Harry in continuing to speak to educate future generations.”
Harry said: “It is such an honour to meet His Royal Highness, and especially in Vienna which means a lot to me. During the Holocaust I lost my parents, my freedom, my childhood hobbies and sports, and my ability to go to school - but I am so proud to be British and today is a special day.”
Freddie: “I am delighted to be meeting the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in my home country, where I was born. Britain has done so much for me – I have lived here with my wife for 66 years. I am so happy to be in Vienna to remember my parents, who were gassed to death by the Nazis at Auschwitz.”