On Wednesday 26 January, ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day, Year 9 students took part in an event where they heard Holocaust survivor Eva Clarke BEM share her family’s testimony.

The students heard about the family’s experiences in pre war Prague, what life was like under Nazi occupation and finally, what persecution they faced in the concentration camps such as Auschwitz. Eva described how her mother became pregnant whilst awaiting transportation to Auschwitz and concealed her pregnancy until a few weeks before her labour. In early April 1945, Eva’s mother was sent to Mauthaussen concentration camp on an open air coal waggon where she started to give birth to Eva. Eva was born on the 29th April 1945. If her mother had arrived in the camp one day earlier, it is very likely that she would have been killed. The day before Eva’s mother arrived in the camp, the Nazis had run out of gas and so Anka and Eva survived and were liberated on 5th May 1945.

The students taking part in this event behaved in a very respectful and mature manner and demonstrated their gratitude to Eva by giving her a standing ovation.