Courage to Care

Holocaust Survivor

I was one of the many who were privileged enough to meet and listen to Peter Gasper, a holocaust survivor. Listening to Peter’s story I learnt that even being a kid, oblivious to the whole war, did not get you any special treatment. 

When Peter was 5, he was told to leave kinder in the middle of the day and to never return due to the fact that Peter and his family were Jewish. The Nazi’s were out to capture anyone who was different, including anyone with different beliefs like being Jewish. Anyone with a disability, with a same-sex partner, politicians, gypsies, etc. were also part of the Nazi’s wanted list and were put into concentration camps. 

Of course, no one wanted to be put into a concentration camp, where if you had no skills to help the Germans in some way you were lined up and killed. This was a scary thought for many, so lots of people went into hiding. This included Peter and his Mother and Father. A few work friends of Peter’s Father offered to hide them with their own families. They moved from house to house for several days at midnight, so people did not get too suspicious. Peter and his Mother went to one house and his Father went to a different house to help lower the risk of being caught. People wanted to help Peter and his parents because they knew that it was wrong to just stand there and do nothing. However, the Nazi’s were determined to find those being kept secret and set new rules stating that if anyone were found hiding people then they would be lined up on the street and every family member would be persecuted in front of the citizens walking past. 

Peter and his parents had a high risk of being found even though they were hiding in the outskirts of town. They were kept in whatever was offered, barns, haystacks, and the backyard of a family that had 3 children and one on the way. At this hiding place, a hole was dug, and a tarp was put over their heads to keep them out of sight. At nighttime, the wife of the family would bring out leftovers from dinner and a piece of stale bread for breakfast. This is where they stayed until they were arrested. 

While Peter and his parents were hiding, winter had got to its coldest point. This meant meters of snow falling, seeping into the hole, and making puddles of ice-cold water up to their knees and the only thing they could sit on was a tiny plank of wood at the end of the hole. These terrible conditions created flu-like symptoms in Peter making him extremely unwell and in need of a hospital. Peter’s parents had to make a crucial decision on whether to go to a police station and hand themselves in, or let Peter slowly suffer which would lead to death. His parents chose the first option and went to the nearest police station and told them that they were Jewish and here to be arrested. Peter and his parents had been in hiding for over a year. The police were amazed and said after their lunch break if they were still there, they would arrest them. They stayed there knowing it was the best option for Peter and his health. 

The family was split apart with his Dad becoming a slave while he and his Mum went into separate concertation camps. Peter was in an all-boys concentration camp filled with boys from the age of 5 – teens. The boys slept in a single bed with two others, sharing one thin blanket between the three of them. They were allowed to see their Mothers once a week. One week his Mother gave him an apple. This was a luxury as fresh food was unheard of in the war and if you could get a piece, it would be the size of a golf ball and bruised from inside out. Nevertheless, this made Peter very happy, and he took of a bite of the sweet, delicious apple. Instead of eating it all at once he decided to save it for later. Peter hid it underneath the mattress of his bed except when he came back for it, it was gone. He knew one of the other boys had stolen it for themselves. That day Peter learnt a valuable lesson and whatever his Mother gave him from then on, he would eat straight away. 

For six months Peter was stuck inside the concentration camp until the Nazi’s were beaten and everyone who had survived this unbearable time in history were released. When Peter was allowed to go home, he asked his Mother where his Aunts, Uncles and cousins were. His Mum could not tell him the truth, so she answered, “they have gone away from us for a while.” 

In the last few years, Peter has travelled back to see all of those who had helped him, and he asked one simple question, why? They all answered we are human beings no matter what kind and no one deserves to be treated like that. And I could not agree more.

Chloe Butcher (9 Jenkin)