This year, Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia. Talbot Heath school welcomed guest speaker, Joan Noble, to speak about her family’s experiences to the students.
Upper 4 along with the Lower 6 sociologists and Upper 6 RS students, were privileged to hear a powerful presentation by Joan Noble, who shared her mother Liesel’s story. Joan gave a deeply moving account of what life was like for her mother as a German-Jewish teenager during the rise of Nazi Germany. Much of what Joan knows about her mother’s experience is based on Liesel’s personal diary, which the family only discovered ten years ago. The talk provided a harrowing insight into the escalating persecution of Jewish families in the 1930s and 1940s.
The presentation detailed key historical events, including Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor, the Reichstag fire, the introduction of the Nuremberg Race Laws, and Kristallnacht. It also highlighted the increasing restrictions placed on Jewish citizens, forced emigration, and the desperate struggle of Liesel’s family to escape Nazi oppression.
Liesel’s journey was both heartbreaking and inspiring. Liesel and her brother Walter managed to emigrate, but her parents were tragically deported to Auschwitz. Their legacy lives on through Holocaust education initiatives that ensure their story is never forgotten.
Through diary entries, photographs, and historical documents, Liesel’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of freedom and the devastating consequences of intolerance. This presentation left a lasting impact on the students who attended, reinforcing the importance of remembrance and education in preventing such atrocities from happening again.
Thanks go to Miss Hill for organising the visit.
