BFA4 The Teacher of Auschwitz

Historian and biographer Wendy Holden tells the haunting story of The Teacher of Auschwitz, based on the life of a man who risked death in order to protect hundreds of children who were living in mortal danger.   

In a wooden hut in the dark heart of Auschwitz, children sang, staged plays and wrote poetry under the guidance and protection of Fredy Hirsch, a young gay Jewish prisoner. But could he teach them the one lesson they really needed to know: how to survive?  

Chaired by Literature Festival Guest Curator Joe Haddow. The talk is followed by a screening of Heaven in Auschwitz, a documentary film that tells the incredible story of 13 Jewish survivors of the Holocaust in former Czechoslovakia, during the II World War, who found Fredy Hirsch.

‘His story serves as a powerful and timely reminder that we can all make the choice to stand up for others, and we do not have to be silent in the face of hate. Wendy Holden has brought Fredy’s incredible story to life, ensuring that his legacy will live on for generations to come.’

Chief Executive Karen Pollock CBE, Holocaust Educational Trust

Wendy Holden was a journalist and war correspondent for the Daily Telegraph. She is the author of more than 35 non-fiction titles and three novels featuring remarkable men and women, some which have been adapted for film, TV, and radio. Her books include Born Survivors, the bestselling story of three mothers who hid their pregnancies from the Nazis, are published in 24 countries