The Children Who Escaped the Nazis

On a chilly April morning in 1939, 14-year-old Lore Sulzbacher sat alone in an enormous train station in London. All around her, people were talking, but Lore didn’t know what they were saying. She didn’t speak a word of English. 

Lore clutched her only possessions: a suitcase filled with clothes and photographs, and her accordion, a musical instrument she loved to play. She wondered what was going to happen to her. 

Only a few days earlier, Lore’s parents had said they were sending her away from her home, from everyone and everything she knew and loved. Germany, where Lore had been born and always lived, had become too dangerous for Jewish people like them. And it was clear that more terror was coming. 

There was no escape for Lore’s parents. But they had been given the chance to send Lore to England, where they hoped she’d be safe. 

As Lore shivered in the station that cold April morning, her mind swirled with worry and fear. A British family had volunteered to take her in, but Lore had never met them. She didn’t even know their names. What sort of people would they be? What would become of her family? What kind of life would she have in this strange new land? 

Lore wanted to be brave, but she fought back tears. 

Why did her parents have to send her away?

On a chilly April morning in 1939, 14-yearold Lore Sulzbacher sat alone in a big train station in London, England. All around her, people were talking. But Lore didn’t know what they were saying. She didn’t speak English.

Lore clutched a suitcase filled with clothes and photographs. She wondered what was going to happen to her.

Only a few days earlier, Lore’s parents had told her they were sending her away from their home in Germany. Life had become too dangerous for people like them—Jewish people. And worse was coming, they were sure. There was no escape for Lore’s parents. But they sent Lore to England, where they hoped she’d be safe.

Now Lore sat by herself, shivering in the train station. She was waiting for a British family that had volunteered to take care of her. But she had never met them. She didn’t even know their names. What sort of people would they be? What would become of her family? What kind of life would she have in this strange new land?

Lore wanted to be brave. But she fought back tears.

Why did her parents have to send her away?

A Storm of Hatred

Jewish people had always been a small minority in Germany and other countries in Europe. Like people of all religions, Jewish people had their own customs and beliefs. For this reason, many Germans viewed them with intolerance and suspicion. Prejudice against Jewish people, known as antisemitism, had been a problem in Germany and all of Europe for centuries. 

But beginning in the early 1930s, when Lore was a little girl, prejudice against Jewish people in Germany exploded into vicious hatred and violence. In 1933, a man named Adolf Hitler became head of the government. At the time, Germany was still suffering from a humiliating defeat in World War I, which had ended in 1918. In the years since, German people had faced years of growing poverty, unemployment, and hunger. 

Hitler and his Nazi Party gave Germans someone to blame for these problems: Jewish people. In hateful speeches, Hitler told vicious lies that stirred up old prejudices. The Nazis passed laws that robbed Jewish people of their rights and treated them like they weren’t even human. 

A Storm of Hatred

Jewish people had always been a small minority in Europe. Like people of all religions, Jewish people had their own customs and beliefs. For this reason, many Germans viewed them with intolerance and suspicion. Prejudice against Jewish people is called antisemitism.

Antisemitism had been a problem in Europe for centuries. But in the early 1930s, this prejudice against Jewish people in Germany exploded into vicious hatred and violence. In 1933, a man named Adolf Hitler became head of Germany’s government. He and his supporters were known as the Nazis.

Germany had just suffered a humiliating defeat in World War I, which had ended in 1918. Since then, German people had faced challenges. Many were poor and couldn’t find jobs.

Hitler gave Germans someone to blame for these problems: Jewish people. Hitler made hateful speeches. He told horrible lies. He convinced Germans to turn against Jewish people. The Nazis passed laws that took away the rights of Jewish people, like Lore and her family.

Night of Violent Attacks

Jewish people were fired from their jobs and forbidden to vote. Friends turned cold and cruel; some shouted vile insults at their Jewish neighbors or even threw stones at them. 

Signs appeared in windows of restaurants and shops that said “Jews not wanted.” Jewish people were beaten in the streets.

By the time Lore was 12, she could no longer go to her school. She was forbidden to swim in public pools or go to the movies or even walk through public parks—just because she was Jewish. 

Then, on the night of November 9, 1938, in cities and towns across Germany, Austria, and parts of Czechoslovakia, large mobs organized by the Nazis unleashed terrible violence. Jewish homes, schools, and synagogues were burned to the ground. Jewish stores were destroyed. This night of violent attacks came to be known as Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass. 

After that, Lore and her parents accepted the terrible truth: Germany—the only home they’d ever known—was no longer safe. 

They needed to get out. 

By the time Lore was 12, she could no longer go to school. Her parents were fired from their jobs. She was forbidden to swim in public pools or go to the movies. She couldn’t even walk through public parks— just because she was Jewish.

On November 9, 1938, in cities and towns across Germany, Austria, and parts of Czechoslovakia, large mobs terrorized Jewish people. Jewish homes, schools, and synagogues were burned to the ground. Jewish stores were destroyed. That night became known as Kristallnacht—the Night of Broken Glass.

After that, Lore and her parents accepted the terrible truth: Germany—the only home they’d ever known—was no longer safe. But where could they go?

The Children

As news of Kristallnacht spread, people around the world were horrified. Yet few countries were willing to open their doors to refugees trying to escape Hitler. But in England, a group of Jewish and non-Jewish people were determined to help. They figured if they couldn’t get entire families out, maybe they could at least save the children. They asked the British government to take action.

The British government voted in favor of helping young Jewish refugees. They created a complex plan to rescue Jewish children. This operation would be called the Kindertransport. (Kinder means “children” in German.) 

Under this plan, Jewish children younger than 17 could receive special permission to come to Britain, where they would be placed with families or would live in groups in small hotels. 

In England, hundreds of people offered to help the young refugees. Now, parents like Lore’s faced an agonizing decision: send their children to live with total strangers in a far-off country, or keep their families together and try to survive Hitler’s terror. 

The Children

News of Kristallnacht spread. People around the world were horrified. Yet few countries would open their doors to refugees trying to escape Hitler. But in England, a group of Jewish and non-Jewish people were determined to help. If they couldn’t save whole families, maybe they could at least save the children. They asked the British government to take action.

The British government voted to help young Jewish refugees. It created a plan to rescue Jewish children. This operation would be called the Kindertransport. (Kinder means “children” in German.)

The plan covered Jewish children younger than 17. They could receive special permission to go to Britain. There, they would be placed with families or would live in groups in small hotels.

In England, hundreds of people offered to help. Now, parents like Lore’s faced an agonizing decision. Should they send their children far away to live with strangers? Or should they keep their families together and try to survive Hitler’s terror?

A New Life

When Lore arrived in London, a couple appeared and introduced themselves as Mr. and Mrs. Schreiber. Lore barely understood a word of what they said, but she went with them to their home in the city of Lincoln. 

The Schreibers and the people of Lincoln did their best to help Lore. The Schreibers gave her a bed to sleep in and food to eat, and they sent her to school to learn English. Their 17-year-old son quickly accepted Lore as a sister, and the two became close friends. 

At school, kids invited Lore to play cricket, one of England’s most popular sports. Lore didn’t know the rules, but the kids made sure she knew when to run.

Despite these kindnesses, Lore was lonely and homesick. She wasn’t used to English stews and meat pies. Even as her English improved, school was difficult, and she struggled to communicate with her classmates. 

And most of all, Lore missed her parents. She held out hope that they would be able to escape to England, but life in Germany was getting more grim by the day. Her parents wrote often. In one letter, her father told her to be strong. 

“Keep your head up high,” he wrote.

Lore arrived in London and waited at the train station. Finally, a couple appeared. They were Mr. and Mrs. Schreiber. They brought her to their home in the city of Lincoln and helped her get settled. Everyone did their best to help Lore. The Schreibers gave her a bed to sleep in and food to eat. They also sent her to school to learn English. Their 17-year-old son quickly accepted Lore as a sister. The two became close friends. At school, kids invited Lore to play cricket, one of England’s most popular sports. Lore didn’t know the rules, but the kids made sure she knew when to run.

Despite these kindnesses, Lore’s heart ached. She missed her parents. She hoped that they would soon escape to England. But life in Germany was becoming even more dangerous. Her parents wrote often. In one letter, her father told her to be strong.

“Keep your head up high,” he wrote.

Pushing Forward

On September 1, 1939, horrific news arrived: Germany had invaded Poland. Britain was joining with other countries in Europe to fight Hitler. 

World War II had begun. 

The start of World War II put an end to the Kindertransport in Germany. For Lore and the other children, the dream of seeing their families was crushed. Mail stopped, though Lore was able to get bits of news about her parents through a relative in Switzerland. 

Through the difficult years of the war, Lore tried to make the best of life in England —even as bombs from German warplanes rained down. She learned to sew while working in the dress shops the Schreibers owned. She also took art classes at night. After all, this is what her parents had wanted for her: to live her life, to thrive. 

When Lore turned 18 in 1943, she said goodbye to the Schreibers and joined the British army. “I felt I was saying thank you to England for saving my life,” she would later say. 

Lore was sent to London and given a job as a driver. She made many new friends. For the first time, she felt like she truly belonged. “The people on my left, the people on my right,” she recalled, “we were all the same.”

Pushing Forward

On September 1, 1939, horrific news arrived. World War II had begun. Nazi armies quickly took over most countries in Europe. England managed to fight them back. But people throughout England lived in terror of Nazi bombing raids.

The start of World War II ended the Kindertransport. For Lore and others, the dream of seeing their families was crushed. Mail stopped. The only news Lore heard about her parents came from a relative in Switzerland.

Lore tried to make the best of life in England. She learned to sew in the Schreibers’ dress shop. She also took art classes at night. After all, her parents had always wanted her to succeed and to be happy.

In 1943, Lore turned 18. She said goodbye to the Schreibers and joined the British army. “I felt I was saying thank you to England for saving my life,” she would later say.

Lore was sent to London and given a job as a driver. She made many new friends. For the first time, she felt like she truly belonged.

“The people on my left, the people on my right,” she recalled, “we were all the same.”

The End Of The War

In 1941, the U.S. joined the fight against Germany. The war raged on for four more years until finally, in May 1945, Germany surrendered. 

After the war, hundreds of Kindertransport children found one or both of their parents. But most never saw their parents again. Few Jewish people in Nazi-occupied countries survived. 

Tragically, Lore’s parents were killed in a Nazi death camp. They were among the some 6 million Jewish men, women, and children across Europe who were murdered by the Nazis. This horror would later be known as the Holocaust. 

Today, the Kindertransport is remembered as a remarkable feat. During a time of violence and hatred, ordinary people in England had banded together to help children from a foreign land. The lives of some 10,000 children were saved. 

Despite everything that she lost, Lore always looked back on her life with a sense of gratitude. After the war, she had a son, three grandchildren, and a marriage as happy as her parents’ had been. 

“I think I’m very lucky to be here,” Lore said. “I’ve had a lovely life.”

The End Of The War

In 1941, the U.S. joined England and other countries in the fight against Nazi Germany. The war raged on for almost four more years. Finally, in May 1945, Hitler surrendered. Germany’s armies had been defeated. World War II was at last over.

After the war, hundreds of Kindertransport children found one or both of their parents. But most never saw their parents again. Few Jewish people in Nazi-occupied countries survived.

Tragically, Lore’s parents were killed. They died in a Nazi death camp. They were among the 6 million Jewish people across Europe who were murdered by the Nazis. This horror would become known as the Holocaust.

Today, the Kindertransport is remembered as a remarkable feat. During a time of violence and hatred, ordinary people in England banded together to help children from a foreign land. The lives of about 10,000 children were saved.

Despite everything that she lost, Lore always looked back on her life with gratitude. After the war, she had a son, three grandchildren, and a marriage as happy as her parents’ had been.

“I think I’m very lucky to be here,” Lore said. “I’ve had a lovely life.”