Published on jun 17, 2016 vera gissing remembers her parents decision to send her and her sister eva on the kindertransport from czechoslovakia to england in may 1939. It was a wonderful moment, one that vera now vera gissing later frequently recalled, saying how much fulfilment it had brought her to meet at last her. The kindertransport german for childrens transport was an organised rescue effort that took place during the nine months prior to the outbreak of the second world war. Shed kept diaries and these formed the basis of her book pearls of. M artha b lends a child alone, vera gissings pearls of childhood and ruth l. Vera gissing did not want to forget the language of her homeland, czechoslovakia now the czech republic, but did not have any other czechs to talk. Vera gissing talks about the painful decision her parents had to make to transport her from czechoslovakia to england and visits the english house where vera grew up.
Vera gissing, a holocaust survivor from czechoslovakia, recalls how her family prepared her for the kindertransport, a rescue mission that brought thousands of jewish refugee children to great britain. Vera gissing from prague was 10 when she was helped by nicky winton dubbed berkshires own schindler to flee czechoslovakia just before wwii broke out. I was lucky to get out when i did and having the chance to thank nicky was the most precious moment in my life. After the germans invaded their town, veras mother contacted nicholas winton about having the girls sent to england. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. After the war, his facility with languages brought him to one of the defining moments of his life. Representations of family in autobiographical texts of. Children transport the ninemonth rescue effort authorized by the british government and conducted by individuals in various countries and by assorted religious and secular groups that saved some 10,000 children, under age 17 and most of them jewish, from nazi germany.
She published her autobiography, pearls of childhood, in 1994. Vera gissing remembers her parents decision to send her and her sister eva on the kindertransport from czechoslovakia to england in may. Vera gissing is also mentioned in diane samuelss dedication to her drama kindertransport 1998. There she was raised by caring foster parents and eventually went to stay in a special boarding school for czech exiles. Vera gissing from prague was 10 when she was helped by nicky winton.
He was the subject of a czech documentary, the power of good, in 2001, the year that his story, nicholas winton and the rescued generation cowritten by vera gissing, one of the children he. The stories of 18 witnesses to this kindertransportchildren, parents, and rescuersare recounted in into the arms of strangers. Alison pick shelved 4 times as kindertransport avg rating 3. Vera gissing was born in prague, czechoslovakia in 1928. I owe him my life and those of my children and grandchildren. Through it all i almost felt as if i were veras friend when reading the book. First edition of hans christian andersons fairy tales beautifully illustrated by dagmar berkova will enchant young readers and adults who still love these stories.
The survivors, though many are now grandparents, still call themselves wintons children. The united kingdom took in nearly 10,000 predominantly jewish children from nazi germany, nazioccupied austria, czechoslovakia and poland, and the free city of danzig. Between december 1938 and the outbreak of war in august 1939, some 10,000 children, the vast majority of them jews, from germany, austria, poland, and czechoslovakia were evacuated to great britain. Into the arms of strangers recounts the remarkable story of this rescue operation, known as the kindertransport, and its dramatic impact on the lives of the children who were saved. Kindertransport resources jfcs holocaust center of sf. She lived in celakovice, outside of prague, with her mother, father, and sister, eva. Kindertransport european history 19381940 britannica. Act 1 scene 1 of aacis jtown playhouse production of kindertransport written by diane samuels may 2014. Its called pearls of childhood and its one of the best books in the genre of world war ii holocaust memoirs.
Stories of the kindertransport hardcover september 30, 2000. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Veras story how a jewish girl escaped nazi persecution, for ks3ks4 history. The book begins with sigs childhood in vienna and follows him at age 14 on the kindertransport to london, where he experienced the blitz as well as v1 and v2 rocket attacks. Vera gissing and artist dagmar berkova created a collaboration in which the stories and the artwork are inseparable.
She spent two years in an english boarding school before taking up nursing. A collection of books about the kindertransport, including fiction, poetry, memoirs, and studies. Kindertransport jtown playhouse act 1 scene 1 youtube. Kindertransport by olga levy drucker rescuing the children by deborah. Berkovas gentle, luminous children, fairies, flowers, and creatures place this book among the most critically acclaimed illustrated hans christian anderson books. Bbc berkshire people i hope that the children will. Vera was a very happy czech child, fiercely proud of. She also describes their farewell at the train station in prague and the journey to england. The author was one of the kindertransport children, who left her native czechoslovakia for britain in 1939, along with her sister. This is a large childrens hardcover picture book, beautifully and colorfully illustrated. When he heard of subsequent efforts of jewish agencies in britain to rescue german and austrian jewish children on the socalled kindertransport, an effort that eventually brought about 10,000 unaccompanied children to safety in great britain, winton summoned a small group of people to organize a similar rescue operation for children imperiled. She later wrote of her final glance at her parents the scene at prague station will be with me forever. In 1939, gissings mother had the foresight to arrange for vera and her older sister to join a transport of jewish children fleeing germanoccupied czechoslovakia.
Vera gissing was born on july 4, 1928 in prague, czechoslovakia. Vera and her sister eva were two of the many children from the kindertransport to england in 1939. The book is very organized, going through childhood, teenage, young adult and older then into senior citizen years. The children of willesden lane bay area big read about the kindertransport 1. Veras testimony is featured in testimony the legacy of schindlers list and the usc shoah foundation. Preparing for the kindertransport facing history and ourselves. Kindertransport is a set text for ge drama aqa and asalevel english literature wjec.
An interview with vera gissing, a holocaust survivor, conducted by dr. The children of willesden lane bay area big read glossary 2. Escaping on the kindertransport from democratic czechoslovakia. Years after the war, vera gissing asked her foster father why he and his family had taken her in.
Vera gissings book was a joy to read even though the subject was a sad one. The united kingdom took in nearly 10,000 predominantly jewish children from germany, austria, czechoslovakia, poland, and the free city of danzig. The book is the companion to the featurelength documentary to be released in the theatres by warner bros. Her wartime memoir, by the moon and the stars, is based on her diaries which she started writing in. After the germans invaded their town, vera s mother contacted nicholas winton about having the girls sent to england. Born to germanjewish parents who had emigrated to britain, winton supervised the rescue of 669 children, most of them jewish, from czechoslovakia on the eve of world war ii. Hans andersons fairy tales vera gissing dagmar berkova etsy. The book follows austrian teenager lisa juras escape from nazi europe to england as part of the kindertransport, a series of rescue efforts supported read more. The kindertransport story is simply and delicately told for younger children by a child being transported out of germany to safety in the uk excellent.
Retold by vera gissing, illustrated by dagmar berkova. The children were placed in british foster homes, hostels, schools and farms. Michele asked gabriella to provide the illustrations for the book, adding photographs of kindertransport children to the ceramic windows of her sculpture. Today, it is estimated there are about 3000 people who owe their life or the life of their loved once to nicholas winton, whether it be through marriage or family. Please login or register to purchase or borrow resources. She came to britain at the end of june 1939 at age 11. Most of vera gissings family, including her parents, perished in the war. Admiral mcraven leaves the audience speechless one of the best motivational speeches. The forced cheerfulness of my parents their last words of love, encouragement and advice. Hans andersons fairy tales vera gissing, dagmar berkova. In june 1939, shortly before her 11th birthday, vera gissing esc. Preparing for the kindertransport facing history and. Vera gissing remembers her parents decision to send her and her sister eva on the kindertransport from czechoslovakia to england in may 1939.
Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers. In that dusty old book were the records of names, pictures letters from families, travel documents, notes crediting his colleagues, and documents detailing a story of. This operation was later known as the czech kindertransport german for childrens transport. Pearls of childhood the poignant true wartime story of a. Buy pearls of childhood the poignant true wartime story of a young girl growing up in an adopted land first edition by gissing, vera isbn. Delacorte books for young readers, new york city, november 10, 2009. Kindertransport resources these resources have been compiled by the kindertransport association as an effort to make it easier for students and interested parties to. Vera gissing wintons child there is no doubt that nicholas winton saved many children, all of whom have their own story worthy of being told. Created by lydia karpinska, it depicts winton sitting on a bench and reading a book. Popular kindertransport books showing 119 of 19 far to go paperback by. The children of willesden lane bay area big read about the.
At the center of the jfcs holocaust centers newest education initiative, the children of willesden lane bay area big read, is the inspirational true story of one teenagers experience as a refugee during the holocaust. The 60 minutes segment reminded me of a book i had read years ago about one of his child rescuees. Sir nicholas winton obituary world news the guardian. Davids ein kind unserer zeit are all part of the growing body of memory literature written by former child refugees from national socialism, with a focus on childhood in germany, austria, czechoslovakia and britain.
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