Behrmann Lecture 2019

BehRmAnn LeCtuRe 2019: the BOy in the StAtue

The 2019 Behrmann Lecture was delivered by Sir Erich Reich on the topic ‘The Boy in the Statue’, talking about his life experiences and how his photograph was used by Frank Meisler when designing the Kindertransport sculpture at Liverpool Street Station.

Upper Sixth pupils Blythe White, Colin Tuchel and Pavan Tanna give their thoughts on the lecture:

Every year since 2011, the School has held the Behrmann Lecture around Holocaust Memorial Day, in honour of Old Persean Joseph Behrmann (1939), who survived 14 concentration camps and went on to be a key witness at the Nuremberg trials. This year, the lecture was given by Sir Erich Reich who, in 1939, at the age of four, was rescued from Austria as part of the Kindertransport scheme; he is now himself a chairman of the Association of Jewish Refugees’ Kindertransport group. He spoke about the importance of the kindness of strangers and, more specifically, the role that it has played in his life.

Beginning with detailed and harrowing context, Sir Erich told how he was deported first from Vienna to Poland, and then escaped to Britain less than a year after Kristallnacht. He pronounced that his family gave life to him twice: once at birth and once when they let him go. Despite the abnormality of his circumstances, his childhood involved the same foolish moments as us all: disagreeing with our parents, injuries caused by pushing a cart too fast, and getting into trouble by not telling our parents where we are. It was because of anecdotes such as these that Sir Erich was able to both provoke laughter from the audience and inspire awe at his extraordinary life story.

Sir Erich was brought up by a German-speaking family in Dorking, Surrey. He recalled how his brother walked by him searching for his foster parents and Sir Erich did not recognise him nor did he even know that he had a brother. Although he was a self-confessed ‘difficult child’ to bring up, his foster parents looked after him, valued him, and he said that they became his parents, showing how important a role the kindness of strangers played in his life.

Following on from his childhood, he discussed his life and how from Dorking, he was moved to London, and eventually ended up living in a Kibbutz in Israel, where he volunteered for the Israeli army. Eventually, however, he came back to Britain as a result of his brother becoming unwell and eventually dying of cancer. He succeeded in Britain, becoming a director of Thomas Cook and working with multiple charities. When he was offered a knighthood in 2010, Sir Erich spoke of real hesitancy in accepting, but, in the end, decided that it was the right thing to do as the award wasn’t just for him, but for all those strangers who had played a vital role in his life.

This same kindness of strangers was implied near the end of his talk when responding to a question about what should be taken away from the talk. Although the Kindertransport was organised, ‘there have always been refugees,’ he commented. Recently, with those coming from Syria, there is a need for a response, and especially organisation, to this constant necessity, he said. Critiquing the fact that only hundreds of refugees have been admitted to this country as a result of the Syrian refugee crisis, he called for more to be done. Maybe, as a country, we need to display more of this ever-vital kindness of strangers that occurred throughout Sir Erich’s life, and is so needed today.

HEAd Ed ELLIoTT And uppER SIxTH pupILS pAVAn TAnnA, EVE mEAkIn And CoLIn TuCHEL wITH SIR ERICH REICH.

MAYBE, AS A COUNTRY, WE NEED TO DISPLAY MORE OF THIS EVER-VITAL KINDNESS OF STRANGERS THAT OCCURRED THROUGHOUT SIR ERICH’S LIFE, AND IS SO NEEDED TODAY.