Sir Nicholas George Winton – “A Silent Kindness”
Nicholas Winton’s parents were German Jews who had moved to London two years before his birth. The family name was Wertheim, but was changed to Winton, they also converted to Christianity, and had Nicholas baptised.
Nicholas Winton became a banker and later a stockbroker. He was known among the elite of British society. These connections became instrumental in his rescue work.
Shortly before Christmas 1938, a friend of Winton’s asked him to assist in Jewish welfare work.
Winton then established an organization to aid children from Jewish families at risk from the Nazis. In November 1938, following Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass) in Germany, the House of Commons – with Winton’s persuasion) voted to allow temporary entry into Britain of child refugees.
Winton found homes for 669 children, many of whose parents died in Auschwitz.
In 1988 Winton’s wife found a scrapbook in their attic, containing names of the children, their parents' names and the names and addresses of the families that took them in. His silent kindness was finally made known to the world. The press dubbed him the "British Schindler". In 2003, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for "services to humanity.”
Letters were sent and 80 of "Winton's children" were identified in Britain.
Sir Nicholas Winton died in 2015 at the age of 106.