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Sir Nicholas Winton: A Humanitarian Hero
Sir Nicholas Winton, a 29-year-old stockbroker in 1939, orchestrated the rescue of 669 Jewish children from Czechoslovakia to England just before the outbreak of World War II. Known as “Winton’s Children,” the evacuees had little knowledge of their savior until his remarkable efforts were revealed decades later in the 1980s. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions, Winton was knighted in 2003. He passed away on July 1, 2015, at the age of 106.
Early Life and Career
Born Nicholas George Wertheim on May 19, 1909, in London, Winton was the eldest of three children of Rudolf and Barbara Wertheimer, German Jews who converted to Christianity and later changed their surname to Winton. Raised in a prosperous household, Winton enjoyed a privileged upbringing, with his father working as a successful banker. He attended Stowe School in Buckingham and later followed in his father’s footsteps, pursuing a career in international banking, working in London, Berlin, and Paris, before returning to England as a stockbroker in 1931.
A Lifesaver in the Face of Persecution
In December 1938, Winton canceled a holiday to visit a friend assisting refugees in Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland, which had fallen under Nazi control. Shocked by the conditions in the refugee camps, filled with Jewish families and political prisoners, Winton felt compelled to act. Drawing inspiration from existing efforts to evacuate Jewish children from Austria and Germany, he set out to replicate a similar operation in Czechoslovakia, despite initially lacking formal authorization.
Operating from a hotel in Prague, Winton began accepting applications from desperate parents seeking to secure a future for their children. The response was overwhelming. Thousands of parents lined up outside his makeshift office. Winton returned to England, mobilizing resources to ensure the children’s safe passage. He found adoptive families, arranged entry permits, and raised the necessary funds to cover transportation costs, often contributing from his own pocket.
On March 14, 1939, just before Nazi forces occupied Czechoslovakia, the first train carrying Winton’s rescued children departed. Over the next five months, Winton organized eight more trains, successfully evacuating a total of 669 children. Unfortunately, a ninth train, scheduled to depart on September 1, 1939, with an additional 250 children, was halted when Hitler’s invasion of Poland triggered World War II, closing the borders and ending Winton’s rescue mission.
Legacy
Sir Nicholas Winton’s selfless actions earned him the title of “Britain’s Oskar Schindler.” His efforts remained largely unknown until the 1980s, when a scrapbook detailing his heroic work was discovered. His legacy as a humanitarian who saved hundreds of children from the horrors of the Holocaust endures, inspiring generations to stand up in the face of injustice.
The Humble Man & His Legacy
For half a century, Sir Nicholas Winton remained largely silent about the extraordinary work he had done and the lives he had saved during the early days of World War II. Even his wife, Grete Gjelstrup, whom he married in 1948 and with whom he had three children, was unaware of his actions. It wasn’t until 1988 that the truth began to surface when Gjelstrup stumbled upon an old scrapbook filled with letters, photographs, and travel documents, revealing her husband’s incredible efforts. With Winton’s reluctant consent, she handed the scrapbook over to a Holocaust historian, bringing his story back to light.
The world soon took notice. A newspaper article was written, followed by a BBC special. Winton, often hailed as “Britain’s Oskar Schindler” for his role in saving hundreds of Jewish children, was honored worldwide. Letters of appreciation flooded in from heads of state. He was awarded an American Congressional resolution, granted honorary citizenship of Prague—one of the Czech Republic’s highest honors—had streets named after him, and statues erected in his name. In 2003, Queen Elizabeth II knighted him, and in 2010, he received the prestigious Hero of the Holocaust medal. Several films were produced to document Winton’s extraordinary efforts in saving the children who came to be known as “Winton’s Children.”
Although uncomfortable with his newfound celebrity, Winton did cherish the opportunity to reconnect with many of those he had saved. Several reunions were organized, including a particularly poignant event on September 1, 2009, when a special train retracing the rescue journey left Prague for London. At 100 years old, Winton once again stood on the platform to greet the travelers, just as he had seven decades earlier.
Throughout the interviews he gave over the years, Winton was frequently asked why he had undertaken such a courageous mission. His responses were always in line with his modest character, never seeking praise for his selfless actions.
Death
Sir Nicholas Winton passed away on July 1, 2015, in Slough, England, at the age of 106, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and quiet heroism.