On Wednesday 18th November, Year 12 had the memorable opportunity to listen to a moving talk by Eva Clarke, a Holocaust survivor. Eva was one of only three babies born in Mauthausen concentration camp who survived the Holocaust. She was born on 29 April 1945, just a day after the Nazis had destroyed the camp's gas chambers and less than a week before its liberation. Although a lot of us have had the historical perspective of World War II, during history lessons in the past, the talk allowed us to see what we have learnt from a personal view. We learnt about a completely different side of the war: the effects that the holocaust had on the individuals themselves. We were shown the raw realities of the situation, and the insights were more shocking than we could have imagined.
Eva brought with her a collection of pictures, which were really special to her, as they consisted of pictures of her family members and the actual concentration camps. These allowed us to visualise the true horrors, as well as put names to faces. The impact was intensified, as we began to become attached to Eva, her family and her story.
Eva highlighted the gradual increase of the hatred that people had for the Jewish community. She outlined the restrictions that the Jewish people faced, before concentration camps became prevalent. Then, we were taken through the timeline that led up to the hardships that people in concentration camps had to go through for many years.
We believe that the talk was incredibly important for everyone to be a part of. As the future generation, we want to emphasise how valuable learning about the historical mistakes that have been made. As a human race we have a responsibility to live in peace and respect, and this talk has managed to open our eyes to not only the events the past but the events in the present.
By Abbie G, Rhianne H, Ellora M, Sri O