Bergen-Belsen survivors attend event marking 80th anniversary of liberation
Bergen-Belsen survivors and UK Government officials have attended a commemoration marking the 80th anniversary of the concentration camp’s liberation by British forces.
The delegation of 180 people on Sunday at the Bergen-Belsen Memorial included survivors, descendants of liberators and survivors, cadets, veterans, Jewish serving personnel, Holocaust educational charities’ young ambassadors, Government officials and community leaders, and was led by AJEX The Jewish Military Association.
Tens of thousands of people, including diarist Anne Frank, died at the camp in northern Germany, which was liberated by the British on April 15 1945.
The delegation took part in the international commemorations at the main Obelisk where Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner spoke, and both her and Lord Coaker laid wreaths.
A wreath was also laid by AJEX veterans Ron Shelley and Ivan Sugarman, with the salute from Dan Fox, AJEX national chairman.
Ceremony
There was also a ceremony at the Jewish memorial with the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, Rabbi Reuben Livingstone and music from the Shabbaton Choir.
Wreaths were laid by Ms Rayner, Countdown star Rachel Riley and Lieutenant Colonel Simon Soskin.
Mr Fox said: “Nothing could have prepared the men of the 11th Armoured Division for what they confronted as they entered Bergen-Belsen on 15th April 1945.
“Within its confines, they came face-to-face with the last belt of Hitler’s genocidal conveyor.
“That day, British soldiers turned destruction into the beginning of repair and nightmares into the start of hope.
“We honour them all today: liberators, survivors and those who lost their lives.”
Commemoration
After the formal proceedings, AJEX ran a commemoration event led by Mr Fox which included an interview between Mala Tribich, Holocaust survivor and Ms Riley, readings and words from Lord Coaker, Lord Lt Robert Voss, Alexandra Singer, Rob Rinder, Lord Finkelstein, Rabbi Josh Levy and John Hill.
The UK young people were provided with an educational programme along with German students.
The delegation also included family of Reverends Leslie Hardman and Isaac Levy, military chaplains who ministered to the survivors in the immediate days following liberation.
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Thoughts for those involved. My grandfather, from Monmouthshire, was part of the division that liberated Bergen-Belsen. As a medic, he stayed on at least a year treating survivors. The liberation had some strong Welsh connections. Brigadier Hugh Llewellyn Glyn Hughes- born in South Africa, gew up in Swansea(?), was in charge of the camp following its liberation. It’s worth reading about his work – from this disaster, Hughes helped developed protocols for dealing with humanitarian crises and was an early advocate for mental health care for soldiers. Some of this had a lasting impact on military medicine.