Description
Object description
Austrian Jewish schoolchild in Vienna, Austria, 1933-1938; escaped to GB via Switzerland and France, 1938; refugee in London, GB, 10/1938-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Vienna, Austria, 1922-1933: family origins; early education. Recollections of period as schoolchild in Vienna, Austria, 1933-1938: assimilated secular character of family; attitude towards political developments in Austria during 1930s; anti-Semitism in Austria; taking boxing lessons to defend himself at school; degree of awareness of rise of Nazis in Germany during 1930s; attitude towards war and violence; memories of Anschluss, 12/3/1938; expulsion from school and violent reception at second school; attitude of non-Jewish neighbours towards his family; confiscation of father's business by Nazis, 1938; preparations for family escape to Switzerland.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of escape from Austria to GB via Switzerland and France, 1938: method of escape from Austria to Switzerland; move to Paris, France; decision to emigrate to GB, 10/1938; attitude of immigration official towards family on arrival in GB, 10/1938. Recollections of period as refugee in London, GB, 10/1938-5/1945: continuing education at Forest Hill House School in Dulwich; story of how mother made financial arrangements for valuables to move to Switzerland and how they were later stolen in London; story of how land owned by relatives was used by Germans to construct Auschwitz II-Birkenau Concentration Camp; memories of declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; attending tribunal and classification; work as machine operator in factory making parts for naval guns at Hounslow.
REEL 3 Continues: subsequent work as instructor and reasons for leaving factory; joining Air Raid Precautions; work for father's storage business; story of marriage to Austrian swimmer Ruth Langer, 1943; attitude towards GB and British people; duties with Air Raid Precautions; story of inventing rust remover for war equipment in storage. Reflections on Holocaust experiences: wife's refusal to return to Austria to receive official apology, 1998; post-war visits to Austria; story of arrest and beating received from Austrian Schutzstaffel (SS) personnel, 1938; question of compensation.
REEL 4 Continues: receiving British nationality, 1948; decision not to take up Austrian citizenship; importance of Israel; question of lack of interest in Holocaust; opinion of Holocaust Exhibition at Imperial War Museum.