Harrowing Auschwitz memories
MORE than 200 schoolchildren from across the region heard harrowing testimony from an Auschwitz survivor at a seminar on Sunday.
Susan Pollock, now 81, told how she was stripped and shaved and paraded naked in front of the Angel of Death – SS officer Josef Mengele - who cynically decided who should live and who should die.
She lied about her age (anyone under 15 was automatically sent to the gas chamber) but lost more than 50 relatives in the concentration camps.
“I think of myself as the custodian of this experience,” she said. “I am an orphan. I have no cousins, no-one.
“Speaking about it is a little bit empowering, it’s my therapy.”
She finds it stressful recalling the catastrophe that wiped out her entire family but added: “I don’t want to let it go. I want to share it.”
The seminar was organised by the Holocaust Education Trust as part of its Lessons from Auschwitz project and to prepare the youngsters for a visit to the infamous death camp tomorrow (Thursday, February 9).
They include pupils from Luton’s Cardinal Newman School.
Co-ordinator Alex Maws said the aim was to promote and encourage teaching of the Holocaust.
“It’s thought provoking and challenging,” he said.
“Experiencing it first hand is different from reading about it in a text book. It’s not just about statistics and dates.
“We want people to remember that all those involved were human beings.
“We want to increase our understanding of the continued relevance of the Holocaust and how we pass its history on to others.”
Students will visit Auschwitz and Birkenau to see the remnants of the barracks, crematoria and gas chambers.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Luton
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 1 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
2Bartichoked
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 04:29 PMMengele and the Holocaust were bad enough, but few realise the bizarre work of Mengele had another reason. His task, as an Ipsimmus which means he had no choice whatever appearances, was to develop trauma using giants, dwarves, monstrous horrors and the forced copulation of just some in his charge...all attested to in the litearature...but to the beat of the drum of Monarch Programming. Mengele became known as the father of Monarch Programming. Yet it was already developed, even mature, as argued by the abuses alleged to flow into and from a film called F* in 1940 notably before Mengele even started his trauma training. No country can be above any of this, by the way, only below it, which is why the motifs and signiiers common now to Monarch fill our Television screens at a growing rate. Google NSA and Will Filer should you seek some escape...at least it does not require body fluids aside from huge sobs and tears, Just google Monarch Programming with any third word you can think of. Tim Baber F* is a film a certain man, Springmeier studied and argues closely anticipated al of this, but I have not named it here in case it might lead you to not enjoy or trust the programme for the rest of us..
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.