On Tuesday 18 June, Pipers Corner welcomed Gena Turgel MBE, a World War Two Holocaust survivor, to talk to Year 9 for the afternoon. The girls were gripped by her story as she described what it was like living in Poland when the Nazis invaded and how the invasion impacted on her family life.
She went on to talk about living in the Ghetto in Kraków where she witnessed the death of her brother. She was moved to a concentration camp in Plaszow and then in 1944 to Auschwitz. Here she was sent to the gas chamber but narrowly escaped death, for reasons still unknown to her today. It was also here where she witnessed many atrocities which should never have happened. In 1945 Gena and her mother were sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany, where she worked as a nurse until British soldiers came and liberated the camp. With all the horrors that Gena had witnessed during the war her story had a happy ending. Norman Turgel, one of the liberators in the British Army became her husband just 6 months later.
After Gena talked, the girls were invited to ask questions in order to further their understanding of the Holocaust. One of the most interesting parts for the girls was finding out that when her ordeal began, Gena was the same age as they are now.
Mrs Gledhill, Head of Religious Studies, said “It was a privilege to welcome Gena Turgel to Pipers Corner. By hearing Gena’s story, the girls have learnt valuable lessons about the Holocaust and the horrors that so many experienced. Gena’s experience has demonstrated to them the dangers of where prejudice can ultimately lead and has very much reinforced the belief that these events should never be allowed to be repeated.”
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Images show: Gena Turgel MBE | Year 9
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For more information contact:
Rebecca Conroy | Senior Marketing Executive | Pipers Corner School | 01494 719 850 | [email protected] | @PipersCornerSCH
