Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) Tribute to Rev. Bernd Koschland MBE:
The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) mourns the passing of our much-loved member Rev. Bernd Koschland MBE, a Kindertransport refugee, minister, teacher and dedicated Holocaust educator.
Born in Fürth, Germany, in 1931, Bernd witnessed the violence of Kristallnacht as a seven-year-old, when his father was arrested and taken to Dachau. In March 1939, aged eight, he was sent alone to Britain on the Kindertransport. His sister Ruth later also escaped, but their parents were unable to leave Germany and did not survive the Holocaust.
Bernd went on to devote much of his life to Jewish education and teaching. He was a longstanding member of the AJR and became closely involved with its Kindertransport group, serving on its committee – helping preserve the experiences of his generation. In retirement, he shared his testimony with countless schoolchildren and was appointed MBE in 2018 for services to Holocaust education.
In 2019, the AJR was privileged to record Bernd’s remarkable testimony as part of its My Story life-story project preserving his memories in his own words for future generations.
AJR CEO Michael Newman OBE said: “Bernd was a treasured member of the AJR community and a passionate educator who understood the importance of passing memory from one generation to the next. He gave so generously of his time to share his testimony in a poignant yet impactful manner. We are immensely grateful for everything he contributed to the AJR and to Holocaust education, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family. May his memory be for a blessing.”
Read Bernd’s My Story HERE
