Katie Hunter | Depute Editor-In-Cheif

Saturday 27th January marks the annual Holocaust Memorial Day – twenty four hours dedicated specifically to remembering the mass murder of Jewish citizens during the Second World War. This day of remembrance was established in 2001 by the Government marking the date in 1945 when the Soviets liberated the Auschwitz camp – the largest of the German Nazi Concentration Camps where over 1.1 million innocent men, women and children lost their lives.

These merciless killings were carried out under the orders of former German leader, Hitler, who discriminated some of the population based merely on their religious beliefs. Hitler was the institutor of the Nazi Party and went on to become the Führer of Germany before establishing a complete dictatorship.

On 18th September, St Andrews and St Brides were honoured to receive a visit from Geraldine Shenkin, the daughter of Holocaust survivor, Marianne Herman. Mrs Mullen, Mrs McNair, Mrs Hogarth, Mr Gordon, Mr Wilkie and sixth year Advanced Higher History pupils were given the opportunity to listen to Geraldine telling her mother’s remarkable and harrowing story. The presentation was very powerful yet humbling as Geraldine explained the unimaginable difficulties faced by her mother during her time spent in a Concentration Camp and in her later life following the War. Geraldine read an excerpt from her mother book, “I Knew I Was Painting For My Life”, which features artwork created by Marianne at the time of the War.

Katie Hunter and Faith Sindick, from the Oystercatcher had the opportunity to ask Geraldine some questions and the full interview is available below:

 

Those present were stunned to hear that it was Marianne’s passion for drawing that led to her survival in the Concentration Camp. Geraldine said that “she loved drawing, in her spare time, loved to do little sketches all the way through her childhood and in her teenage days with children” and that after much persuasion, Marianne’s father even granted her permission to attend the famous Rote Schule of Fashion and Graphic Design in Prague. She even taught Jewish girls privately at home to earn some extra money – she taught them some fashion design in secret and other crucial skills such as how to sew.

During the six months she spent in Auschwitz, an SS man brought Marianne extra bread and butter as well as other necessities. He was pleased with her and wanted her to do more artwork for him hence he eventually saved her life. News travelled fast and soon Doctor Josef Mengele, a man responsible for carrying out horrific medical experiments on the Jewish people, ordered Marianne to draw different markings on the children. Mengele was a rather intimidating man and simply paced up and down, instructing her what to do. She knew that if she made an ink blob or a mistake she would not have survived and this was ultimately the reason behind the book’s name – she knew she was painting for her life.

Mrs McNair, head of social subjects at St Andrews and St Brides, expressed her awe with regards to Geraldine’s words:

“It was a truly humbling experience. Her love, admiration but also anguish for her mother and all she had suffered was strikingly clear.

Everyone is aware that the Holocaust showed the horrors humans can inflict on one another.

In listening to Geraldine Shenkin, I was however left in no doubt that the resilience displayed by those who lived through the Nazi’s brutal reign shows the strength and beauty of the human spirit. Those (like her mother) who survived the Holocaust did so through cunning, daring and a sheer unwillingness to give in to the evil that surrounded them.”

Marianne’s artwork can now be found in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery Museum in Glasgow ensuring that the tragedy of the Holocaust is never forgotten. Having heard the inspirational story, I now intend to visit the museum to pay respect to those who lost their lives at the hands of the Nazis and to view the awe inspiring images in the flesh.

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