Between march and august 2, 1939, nicholas winton organized 8 transports to take children from prague to new homes in great britain, and kept quiet about it until his wife. Nicholas winton sila lidskostinicholas winton, 2002, which won an emmy award, and the documentary drama nickys family nickyho rodina, 2011. He was known for organising the rescue of 669 czech children from nazioccupied czechoslovakia during the 9 months before war broke out in 1939. Winton s work is the subject of three films by slovak filmmaker matej minac. In december 1938, nicholas winton, a 29yearold london stockbroker, was. Jul 02, 2015 nicholas winton, a briton who said nothing for a halfcentury about his role in organizing the escape of 669 mostly jewish children from czechoslovakia on the eve of world war ii, a righteous deed. Between march and august 2, 1939, nicholas winton organized 8. He was blessed enough to live for 103 years and died on july 1, 2015. In 1939, nicholas winton personally saved the lives of 669 children. When i was considering purchasing a book about nicholas winton, i looked him up on the internet. Much to my amazement i found he is still alive and a bit over 100 years old. In the power of good, a recent international emmy awardwinning documentary from czech producer matej minac, nicky says he kept quiet about the rescue mission because it was such a small part of my life.
Nicholas winton the young man who saved 669 children from. The stockbroker who saved 669 czech children from the nazis before wwii is awarded the czech republics highest honor at the age of 105. All my loved ones and the awardwinning nicholas winton. The statue faces west and you could be forgiven for thinking that this is a strong reference to the last train and the fate of the 250 children. Nicholas was born in 1909 to parents who were both originally german jews. People around the world were impressed by what he did. The film nicholas winton the power of good won an international emmy in 2002 and tony blair praised him as britains schindler. In a world wracked by violence and cruelty, nicky wintons selfless actions nearly seven decades ago should give us all hope. Independently of operation kinder transport, nicholas winton set up his own rescue operation.
Sir nicholas winton is the prototype of the strong man. Nicholas rejected the description of himself as a hero, insisting that unlike schindler, his life had never been in danger. The power of good includes 70 minutes of bonus material making available for the first time details of the rescue operation as well as of sir wintons private life, views from some of his rescued children, and footage from events including his knighthood ceremony. He is best known for his role in the rescue of 669 mostly jewish children from germanoccupied czechoslovakia before world war ii. His father was a merchant banker, and nicholas and his siblings grew up in a mansion in west hampstead. He found himself visiting camps for refugees from the sudetenland, an area under nazi occupation. May 27, 2014 story of nicholas winton bbc thats life short version duration. Sir nicholas winton, who save 669 children destined for nazi concentration camps, died today at 106 years old. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app.
A steam train stops at maidenhead train station in tribute to sir nicholas winton, who organised trains to rescue hundreds of czech children from the nazi regime. Last november the film director matej minac achieved something beyond his dreams. In the power of good, a recent international emmy awardwinning documentary from czech producer matej minac, nicky says he kept quiet about the rescue mission because it was such a small part. Wintons work is the subject of three films by slovak filmmaker matej minac. Nicholas winton never actually set foot in the prague train station and much of the more dangerous work was done locally by another unsung hero, trevor chadwick. His parents were of germanjewish origin but converted to christianity and changed the family name to winton. The power of good won the 2002 international emmy for best tv documentary. Nicholas winton did go to prague, and he was deeply affected by what he saw. Hitler has invaded czechoslovakia, threatening the lives of the jewish population. She showed it around and the story ended up on esthers thats life. Wintons story is also the subject of two films by czech filmmaker matej minac.
Nicolas winton documentary power of good has won the 2002 international emmy. Germany and the western european powers, the nazis annexed a large part of western czechoslovakia, the sudetenland. Jews on the nights of november 9 and 10, 1938, had reached prague. The broadcastings in 1988 turned him into a legend. He brought them to britain and kept it a secret for nearly 50 years.
Nicolas winton documentary power of good has won the 2002 international emmy award, in the category of tv documentary. Nicholas winton said nothing for a halfcentury about the role he played in the escape of more than 600 mostly jewish children from czechoslovakia on the eve of world war ii. Sir nicholas george winton mbe born nicholas george wertheim. My father is the late sir nicholas winton 19092015, who organised the czech and slovak kindertransport in 1939 to rescue endangered children from the nazi threat. Train tribute to holocaust hero sir nicholas winton bbc news. Nicholas winton, a young english stock exchange clerk, saved the lives of 669 jewish children by organizing trains to take them from prague to new jewish homes in britain. Jul 01, 2015 nicholas george wertheim was born in london on may 19, 1909, one of three children of rudolf and barbara wertheim. Nicholas winton is a 2002 documentary about nicholas winton, the man who organized the kindertransport rescue mission of 669 children from germanoccupied czechoslovakia on the eve of the second world war. Even the dalai lama is among his declared admirers. This small exposure of winton was so effective that it encouraged minac. He returned to london and, working alone, organized four trains to bring 669 children to england, where he found a foster home for each. Setting up an office in the lobby of his hotel, winton helped raise money and secure paperwork for the transport of jewish. Nicholas winton ap photo petr david josek london ap he was just a 29yearold clerk at the london stock exchange when he faced the challenge of a lifetime.
His family settled in england and he and his siblings were all baptized and confirmed. A gripping documentary about the courage and determination of a young english stockbroker who saved the lives of 669 children. Nicholas winton how nicholas winton, 29, saved 669 lives on. In december 1938, nicholas winton, a 29yearold london stockbroker, was about to leave for a skiing holiday in switzerland, when he received a phone call from his friend martin blake asking him to cancel his holiday and immediately come to prague. Nicholas winton simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. A documentary film about a few out of 669 children rescued by sir nicholas winton from the hands of the nazis. Nicholas winton was born nicholas wertheimer on may 19, 1909, in west hampstead, england, and baptized as a member of the anglican church by decision of his. Searching for children rescued by nicholas winton the new. Nicholas winton sila lidskosti nicholas winton, 2002, which won an emmy award, and the documentary drama nickys family nickyho rodina, 2011. Nicholas winton was a young, leftleaning stockbroker in 1938, when a friend cancelled their planned skiing holiday in switzerland and invited him to prague instead. Sir nicholas winton receives czech republics highest honor. The documentary, the power of good, is slowly spreading the winton story around the world, as are an earlier, superb dramatization called all my loved ones and, of course, veras book. Nov 01, 2001 amongst other awards, he was granted the freedom of the city of prague in 1991 and was awarded the tomas garrigue masaryk order by president havel in a grand ceremony in hradcany castle in 1999.
Nicholas winton, a briton who said nothing for a halfcentury about his role in organizing the escape of 669 mostly jewish children from czechoslovakia. Top 3 surprise shocked britains got talent duration. Mar 18, 2009 the documentary, the power of good, is slowly spreading the winton story around the world, as are an earlier, superb dramatization called all my loved ones and, of course, veras book. In 1939 a british stockbroker saves 669 children, most of them czechs, from the nazis. Nicholas winton and the power of good in december 1938, nicholas wintona british stockbroker on holiday in praguerecognized the danger posed to the jewish community by the impending nazi takeover of czechoslovakia.
He was the subject of a czech documentary, the power of good, in 2001, the year that his story, nicholas winton and the rescued generation cowritten by vera gissing, one of the children he. May, 2014 join the worldwide petition to honor sir nicholas winton with the nobel peace prize. These pages give information about me, my father and the work i do to promote his legacy. When nicholas winton met a friend in prague in december 1938, he was shocked by. The power of good includes 70 minutes of bonus material making available for the first time details of the rescue operation as well as of sir winton s private life, views from some of his rescued children, and footage from events including his knighthood ceremony. In 2002 queen elizabeth ii conferred knighthood on winton.
The story became known to the public in 1988 when it featured on thats life, a bbc tv programme hosted by esther rantzen. Nicholas winton organized seven more transports, all leaving from pragues wilson railway station. May 19, 2010 nicholas winton and the power of good in december 1938, nicholas winton a british stockbroker on holiday in praguerecognized the danger posed to the jewish community by the impending nazi takeover of czechoslovakia. Nicholas winton, 29 years old and planning a ski trip to switzerland, is asked by his friend martin blake to come instead to prague and witness the plight of jews in czechoslovakia.
I have a most interesting assignment and i need yo. Nicholas winton history and legacy hello and welcome to my website. In a world wracked by violence and cruelty, nicky wintons selfless actions nearly seven decades ago. Winton was invited by czech president vaclav havel and around 250 of the 664 people he saved were expected at the event. Jul 08, 2012 in december 1938, nicholas winton, a 29yearold london stockbroker, was about to leave for a skiing holiday in switzerland, when he received a phone call from his friend martin blake asking him to cancel his holiday and immediately come to prague. Nicholas winton organized a rescue operation that brought approximately 669 children, mostly jewish, from czechoslovakia to safety in great britain before the outbreak of world war ii. The story of nicholas winton the difference one can make. Aug 28, 2009 nicholas winton was a young, leftleaning stockbroker in 1938, when a friend cancelled their planned skiing holiday in switzerland and invited him to prague instead. In the power of good, a recent international emmy awardwinning documentary from czech producer matej minac, nicky says he kept quiet. His film nicholas winton the power of good, won the greatest international honour that a documentary film can.
Director matej minac decided to make the documentary after meeting winton while developing the film treatment for all my loved ones. On december 31, 2002, winton received a knighthood from queen elizabeth ii for his services to humanity. In the late 1930s, a british stockbroker named nicholas winton used his vacation time to take a trip to prague. Amongst other awards, he was granted the freedom of the city of prague in 1991 and was awarded the tomas garrigue masaryk order by president havel in a grand ceremony in hradcany castle in 1999. Most of them were jewish from czechoslovakia, which was soon to be occupied by the nazis. Nicholas winton is a 2002 documentary about nicholas winton, the man who organized the. Jul 02, 2015 nicholas winton said nothing for a halfcentury about the role he played in the escape of more than 600 mostly jewish children from czechoslovakia on the eve of world war ii.
Sir nicholas winton obituary world news the guardian. Nicholas winton 2002, all my loved ones 1999 and into the arms of strangers. Nicholas wintons heroic act was brought to light by his wife, grete, who discovered the files of czech kindertransport. Sir nicholas george winton mbe was a british humanitarian who established an organization to rescue children at risk from nazi germany. Nicholas winton was born on 19 may 1909 and died on 1st july 2015 aged 106. Sir nicholas winton, who save 669 children destined for nazi. Jul 01, 2015 he was the subject of a czech documentary, the power of good, in 2001, the year that his story, nicholas winton and the rescued generation cowritten by vera gissing, one of the children he. Story of nicholas winton bbc thats life short version duration. Nicholas george wertheim was born in london on may 19, 1909, one of three children of rudolf and barbara wertheim. The power of good the heroism of nicholas winton when nicholas winton, a young english stockbroker, visited prague in 1939, he learned of the plight of jews who were fleeing the nazis. In 2003, sir nicholas winton was knighted by queen elizabeth ii. Nicolas winton documentary power of good has won the 2002 international.
Jul 01, 2015 nicholas winton ap photo petr david josek london ap he was just a 29yearold clerk at the london stock exchange when he faced the challenge of a lifetime. This event became known as the czech kindertransport. With joe schlesinger, karel reisz, hugo morom, joseph guns. Winton travels to prague and observes the work of the british committee for refugees from czechoslovakia.