Saving the children from the Holocaust | 60 Minutes Archive

Summary

The extraordinary story of Nicholas Winton, a young Londoner who saved 669 Jewish children from the Holocaust, unfolds in this emotional recount. In 1938, Winton traveled to Prague amidst growing Nazi violence and orchestrated the evacuation of children to Britain. Despite facing bureaucratic obstacles, including forged documents and blackmail, Winton’s determination led to the successful escape of these children just before the Nazi occupation. For nearly 50 years, Winton kept his heroic actions a secret, only to be revealed in 1988. His legacy lives on through the generations of those he saved.

Takeaways

• 😀 Nicholas Winton, a London stockbroker, saved the lives of 669 Jewish children during World War II.
• 😀 Winton’s humanitarian effort began in 1938, as violence against Jews escalated and Europe edged closer to war.
• 😀 Winton traveled to Prague in 1939, where he set up an operation to get children out of Nazi-occupied areas.
• 😀 Lacking formal experience, Winton used ingenuity, including forging documents, to navigate bureaucratic barriers.
• 😀 His mission to save children was urgent, as many families were desperate to send their kids abroad to safety.
• 😀 British authorities agreed to accept the children, but only if Winton found foster families to care for them.
• 😀 Winton’s use of deception and manipulation of bureaucracy, such as forging travel documents, helped save children.
• 😀 Seven trains carrying children were sent from Prague to England, just before Nazi troops occupied the city.
• 😀 The last train, set to leave on September 1, 1939, was halted due to the outbreak of World War II.
• 😀 After the war, Winton did not speak about his actions for 50 years, even as the children he saved had children of their own.
• 😀 In 1988, a BBC program revealed Winton's role in saving the children, leading to an emotional reunion with the survivors.

Q & A

Who was Nicholas Winton and what did he do during World War II?

Nicholas Winton was a young Londoner who saved the lives of 669 Jewish children during World War II by organizing their escape from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to Britain. He set up a refugee operation in Prague and arranged for the children to be taken to safety before the war escalated.

What prompted Nicholas Winton to go to Prague in 1938?

Nicholas Winton was deeply concerned about the escalating violence against Jews in Germany and the dire situation of refugees fleeing the Nazis. He decided to go to Czechoslovakia to see if he could help in any way.

How did Nicholas Winton manage to get children out of Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia?

Winton set up a small organization in Prague and worked tirelessly to convince British authorities to accept Jewish children. He used a combination of ingenuity, including forging documents, blackmail, and even deception, to get the children out, eventually securing the transport of hundreds to Britain.

Why did Nicholas Winton not tell anyone about his actions for nearly 50 years?

Nicholas Winton did not actively keep his actions a secret, but he simply did not talk about it. He felt that his mission was complete once the children were safe and settled, and he moved on to other endeavors, focusing on helping the elderly and mentally handicapped.

What role did British bureaucracy play in Nicholas Winton’s efforts?

British bureaucracy was slow to respond to Nicholas Winton’s requests for help, particularly in issuing travel documents for the children. Winton faced significant obstacles, including a lack of official support, but he managed to circumvent these challenges through forged documents and other creative means.

How did the children who were saved by Nicholas Winton feel about him when they finally learned the truth?

In 1988, Nicholas Winton was reunited with many of the children he had saved. For the first time, they realized who he was and how he had saved their lives. The emotional moment was overwhelming for Winton, as he was confronted by those children, now adults, who owed their lives to him.

What happened to the children who were unable to escape before the outbreak of war?

The children who were not able to leave before the war began, including those on the eighth planned train, most likely did not survive the Holocaust. Nazi troops occupied Prague on the day the last train was scheduled to leave, and it never departed. The children left behind were eventually sent to concentration camps.

What did Nicholas Winton do after World War II?

After the war, Nicholas Winton continued his humanitarian efforts by volunteering with the Red Cross, training pilots for the Royal Air Force, and later focusing on helping the elderly and mentally handicapped by building homes for them.

What impact did Nicholas Winton’s actions have on the lives of the children he saved?

Nicholas Winton’s actions saved 669 children, and their lives and families grew in the years after their rescue. Many of these children had children and grandchildren, and their descendants owe their existence to Winton’s efforts during the war.

Why was Nicholas Winton knighted and celebrated in later years?

Nicholas Winton was knighted in 2003 for his extraordinary humanitarian efforts. He was also celebrated as a national hero in the Czech Republic and honored through a documentary called 'Nikki’s Family,' though he remained modest about the recognition and focused on the future rather than the past.