Object of the Month

In 1939, Inge Sadan arrived in England with the Kindertransport to join her brother and sister who were already living in Coventry. The children could bring very few belongings with them and she carried this rucksack with her.

The Kindertransport was a rescue effort which brought Jewish children to Great Britain from Nazi Germany and other German occupied territories. Jews were suffering increasing incidents of violence and persecution under the Nazis and between 1938 and 1940, the Kindertransport helped approximately 10,000 children escape into Britain. The Movement for the Care of Children from Germany coordinated the British effort with the help of many organisations and individuals of different faiths.

Parents and guardians were not allowed to travel to Britain, so the children arrived alone and not knowing where or with whom they would be staying. Most children stayed with foster families while others stayed in hostels or on farms. After the war, many children discovered they were orphans because their parents had not survived the Holocaust. Inge and her siblings were exceptionally fortunate to be reunited with their parents.

The experiences of the Kinder, as the children are known, are varied but there remains a strong bond between the Kindertransport refugees. Even though the Kinder are now scattered throughout the world, many of the survivors attend reunions.

The rucksack will be on display in the new Peace and Reconciliation Gallery when The Herbert reopens in Autumn 2008.

You will also be able to watch a film of Inge's sister, Bertha Leverton, talking about her experiences of the Kindertransport.

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