Kindertransport memorial sculpture unveiled in Harwich

The safe haven statue, sculpted by award-winning Essex artist Ian Wolter, was unveiled on Thursday, September 1, on Harwich Quayside.

The port of Harwich was the main point of entry for most of the 10,000 children who came to Britain, with the first refugees arriving by ferry in December 1938.

Some continued their journey to London, while others went to holiday camps such as Dovercourt Bay.

Harwich Mayor Ivan Henderson previously visited the Sculpture Service Foundry in Manningtree and was excited about the new memorial sculpture.

He said: “I believe that this memorial will add to Harwich’s rich history as visitors to the quayside will be able to visualise and connect with this historical event.

“We are pleased to be working with the Harwich Kinder Memorial Trust to support this initiative and welcome this piece of modern history to Harwich.”

The sculpture depicts five children descending from a ship’s gangplank with powerful quotes carved into the bronze.

The statue was bronzed in Manningtree and assembled on Harwich Quay.

Space has been left between the figures for visitors to become a part of history themselves.

To ensure the statue was realistic, Mr Wolter used live models, two of whom are of Jewish descent and living in East Anglia.

Existing memorials follow the children’s journey from Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Gdańsk, Hamburg to the Hook of Holland before reaching Liverpool Street Station.

The missing link in this path was Harwich and the statue will serve as a reminder of the past.

Notable names at the unveiling included Michael Newman, chief executive of the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR), and Miguel Berger, the German ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Footage of the Kindertransport will be screened in the Electric Palace and there are exhibitions about this historic event at Harwich Museum.

For more information on the Kindertransport memorial in Harwich visit kindertransport-memorial.org/.