In commemoration of LGBTQ+ History month pupils learnt about Fredy Hirsch in a chapel address. A new novel by Wendy Holden called ‘The Teacher of Auschwitz’ honours this young man’s life which was cut short by the Nazis after being sent to Auschwitz.

Fredy was a gay Jewish athlete, who found himself persecuted during the rise of Hitler in the 1930’s. Being an athlete, he was admired by the SS, despite being a Jew, and he became known for setting up a school area in Auschwitz which protected children from the worst atrocities taking place there. After the war, he was branded by the Communist party as a homosexual and a collaborator, and his story remained largely unknown. Those who were protected by Fredy and benefited from his bravery in the camps, kept his name alive, and we can now read about his heroic actions in this new novel. The book begins; “My name is Fredy Hirsch. I am 28 years old. I am a teacher, I am a dreamer, I have loved and laughed, cried and almost died a thousand times. My name is Fredy Hirsch. Please, be so kind as to remember my name.”

Related Posts

  • Ahoy there, me hearties! It was Pirate Day on Tuesday in Year One and the crew were all hands on deck. There were lots of “arrrr’s” and “yo ho ho’s” as the young buccaneers made paper plate pirate ships, tea-stained treasure maps, pirate flags and even drank pirate punch! Everyone had a swashbuckling good [...]

  • Our youngest musicians had the chance to shine on Monday as they performed to parents, staff and friends in their summer music showcase.  With over a dozen solo performances, our pupils showed off their talent and accomplishments to a delighted audience on a variety of instruments, including piano, violin, cello and clarinet. We are [...]

  • “We’re all hooked on TikTok—but can we really be blamed? Take a moment today to check your screen time. How many hours did you spend scrolling this week? Now, try to recall the last three videos you watched. Chances are, you can’t. That’s hours of your life gone, with nothing to show for it”. Ralf [...]