This evening whilst on a quest for all the videos that youtube could supply me with pertaining to Stephen Fry, I came across an episode of "who do you think you are" in which Stephen traces the roots of his families as far back as he can in order to fill in some gaps in his family's history.
As part of a Jewish family, he is particularly keen to find out more about his mother's side of the family as there is a picture of his mother's aunt, her husband and their three children. Although the family had always suspected that they had died in a concentration camp, the scenes that show him finding their birth and death records is incredibly moving, as are the scenes in which he returns to England to share with his living family all that he has discovered. Despite being very familiar with the fate of many families in the Second World War, seeing someone I have grown to love, being confronted with his own family's fate made me cry as if it were my own family being talked about.
My own family is of both Austrian and Polish origin. My father's polish side of the family being Jewish, although the members I grew up with (my father and my grandmother) were not practising. My Austrian grandparents grew up during the second world war in Austria and my grandfather was forced to fight for Hitler's army on the Russian front. I have always been brought up talking openly about the war, anti-semitism and the consequences, and living life in a war-torn country. My Austrian grandmother in particular always told us of her life as a child both during and after the war. However she told the stories with a moral to us that always said: "look how hard we had it as children, you don't know how easy you've got it now" And I am very ashamed to say that as a child in particular, I grew rather fed up of hearing her "preach" at me. I see now however that she is right, a bad week to me now, is one where I have no internet access, or no phone signal, whereas to her a bad week was one in which the local shops had no bread again, or worse, where something broke that had to be replaced and there was simply no money for food!
I have never been very good at stomaching emotionally heavy things, sad and touching things have always had a very profound effect on me. For example I am incapable of watching war movies without feeling sick, or usually even being sick. No one knows why and very few people can understand or sympathize. I used to think this was a personal weakness of mine, but my mother explained to me that it was simply because I care so deeply and I am so deeply moved that things have such a profound effect on me.
Despite this I force myself to try and find out as much as I possibly can, on the subject of my family and their lives, because when they are gone (as sadly too many of them already are) no one but their family will be there to remember them and their stories.
They may not have been great heroes that changed the world, but they all added their bit, and put in their effort towards shaping history. My Grandmother, on my father's side Proffessor Irene Lachmann for example was a scientist who was very well known in scientific circles, was a close friend and worked very closely with Professor Rotblat, the founder of the Pugwash conference and winner of the Nobel Peace prize. This is something that only a few concerned people know. Even fewer however know that she survived during the war because of her scientific knowledge, amongst other things, her knowledge of how to make soap! This small personal detail will be of little interest to her scientific colleagues, but it's important to me, as it shows the human aspect of the war.
This human aspect is what this post today is actually about. Everyone knows that many Disabled people, Jews, Roma, Sinti and other so called "undesirable minorities" died in the war. Many people have been to visit the concentration camps. But few really think about the people behind all these numbers. In England we are urged every year not to forget the soldiers that died at the hands of Hitler, we have walls with their names on them, and large ceremonies in their honour. As a member of the British Armed Forces I am very proud and grateful to them, as they are all heroes who died fighting for our freedom. But I also am proud of every man, woman and child, every mother, father, daughter and son that struggled through the war "on the other side" Each and every one of them will always be important to me, and though I will never know, or be able to know their names, I will never again make the mistake of forgetting that they all had them. For they all had name, lives and families that were destroyed by an atrocious war that was started because dangerous people, with dangerous ideals, were given power by people that were too hungry, tired and fed up of hardship to care about the politicians true intentions!
No nation will ever allow another war to happen based on the grounds of Anti-Semitism, and no self-respecting society tolerates Anti-Semitism. But what about all the other racism, and discrimination that is allowed to reign unchecked in this world?? Does there really have to be a global war in order for an issue to become important??
I have noticed that in their zeal and passion, people often confuse things, and get so caught up in their mindset they can no longer see the wood for trees. I have noticed that since 9/11 this phenomen is becoming increasingly widespread. People have begun to confuse religiously motivated terrorism, with religion. Specifically, fundamentally Islamic motivated terrorism. I read recently that there were plans to build a mosque vaguely near Ground Zero. Plans which had been met with outrage from certain parts of the community. Now although I understand that people have suffered unspeakable loss and pain at the hands of Islamic terrorists, I do NOT see that this gives them the right to hate all Muslims the world over, and see the Islamic faith as dangerous and wrong. No one believes this of the Catholic or the Protestant faith dispite the many acts of violence and terrorism committed in Ireland! The media, and a few rhetorically gifted politicians have managed to brainwash a lot of people, and I would like to take this opportunity of highlighting that similar brainwashing was what caused the last attempt to wipe out an entire faith and race.
And so, having completed a full circle of though, I guess the upshot of tonight's post is, be as tolerant and as open as you can, without forsaking your own ideals and morales. And the second is, remember that behind every number, is a person, with a life and family.
God Bless, And May We Never Forget The Fallen!
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