Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Lucinda Cameron & Ruth Suter

Holocaust survivor relives the moment he arrived in Glasgow after fleeing Nazi Germany to educate kids

A Holocaust survivor has relived the memory of arriving in Scotland after escaping Nazi Germany to educate school pupils about the Second World War.

Henry Wuga, 98, returned to Glasgow Central Station to share his story with youths.

He joined Poppyscotland and Gathering the Voices to help launch new lessons for Scottish schools, based on his story and that of other young refugees during World War Two.

Mr Wuga escaped Nazi Germany in 1939, aged just 15, leaving his parents behind in Nuremberg, and went to Glasgow on the Kindertransport.

The Jewish refugee made Scotland his home, marrying Ingrid, who also escaped via the Kindertransport, and managing his own catering business.

Henry Wuga, Holocaust survivor (PA)

In the new learning programme, pupils will be encouraged to reflect on the stories of people like Mr Wuga, and on the issues facing more recent child refugees, including Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn country today.

Mr Wuga met ten S2 pupils from Shawlands Academy under the clock at Central Station in Glasgow, where he first arrived in Scotland.

After the visit on Friday he said: "It was very interesting meeting the pupils and answering their questions. I think it's so important to share my story with a new generation while I can.

"When I first arrived here 83 years ago it was a shock - I didn't speak the language well, the food and customs were new.

"But Glasgow was very welcoming and I made it my home."

The only son of successful caterers, Mr Wuga enjoyed a happy childhood before the Nazis came to power.

Then he witnessed growing antisemitism, from bullying at school to the horrors of Kristallnacht in 1938, when Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues were attacked.

Henry was just a child when he fled Nazi Germany (Daily Record)

As tensions increased, his mother secured him a place on the Kindertransport, an international humanitarian programme that took about 10,000 children to Britain in the months leading up to the outbreak of war.

In Glasgow, Mr Wuga attended school and worked on a farm in Perthshire before being wrongly accused of espionage after writing letters to his parents in Germany.

However his name was cleared and, after the war ended, he returned to Glasgow, where he took a job as a chef.

Mr Wuga's father died of a heart attack during an air raid in 1941, but he was able to bring his mother, who had survived the war thanks to the help of a Catholic neighbour, to Scotland.

His wife, Ingrid, also lost many close relatives and friends in the Holocaust.

Henry and pupils on his return to Glasgow Central Station (PA)

Gordon Michie, Poppyscotland 's head of fundraising and learning, said: "We are incredibly grateful to Mr Wuga for supporting us and sharing his harrowing story with a new generation of Scottish children.

"His first-hand testimony is an important addition to our learning programme and will encourage young young people to reflect on issues that are all too relevant today.

"Sadly, millions of children throughout the world continue to be uprooted from their homes, escaping war, persecution, and poverty.

"We hope this will promote a wider understanding of refugees' experiences, then and now, the challenges they face when arriving in Scotland."

Heny and wife Ingrid at home in Giffnock (Daily Record)

The Gathering the Voices Association is a project to record audio and video testimonies from Holocaust refugees who have a connection to Scotland, and educate current and future generations about their resilience.

It is made up of three second-generation refugees and their partners, who have collected more than 50 interviews which are freely available at www.gatheringthevoices.com.

Dr Angela Shapiro, from the Gathering the Voices Association, said: "We hope that by focusing on the stories of Mr Wuga and other young refugees, this will help bring the lessons to life."

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.