THE REMARKABLE story of a childhood escape from the Nazi regime will be told at Rugby Town Hall to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
Susi Bechhofer will give a talk telling the story of how her hidden past was shaped by the Holocaust.
German-born Susi, whose tale was immortalised in acclaimed novel Rosa’s Child, was evacuated in 1939 at the age of three with her twin sister Lotte.
Half a century after the twins were adopted in Britain and renamed Grace and Eunice, Susi discovered her hidden past and how her Jewish mother, Rosa, saved her from the horrors of the Holocaust before being put to death in the gas chambers of Auschwitz.
The event has been organised by Mayor Coun Ramesh Srivastava, Rugby Inter Faith Group and other civic and community leaders.
Coun Srivastava said: “This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day encourages us to ‘keep the memory alive’ and Susi’s remarkable story offers a unique personal insight into the horrors of the Holocaust.
“Everyone is welcome to join our event and take the opportunity to remember the lessons of one of humanity’s darkest periods while pledging our support to creating a better future.”
The free talk takes place on Saturday (January 31), starting at 3pm, in the Town Hall’s council chamber. The audience can then visit St Andrew’s Church from 4pm to light a candle for peace.
Holocaust Memorial Day, an international day of commemoration first held in 2001, takes place on Tuesday (January 27) – marking the date Auschwitz was liberated in 1945.
Visit www.rugby.gov.uk/hmd for more information on the Rugby event, and www.hmd.org.uk for more on Holocaust Memorial Day.
