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The "Windermere Children"- Holocaust Survivors

Posted by (Lake District, England) on

Today, 14 August 2025, is the 80th anniversary of the arrival of around 300 Eastern European children aged 3 to 18 at the Calgarth Estate, Windermere- survivors of the German concentration camps. They were flown from Prague to what is now Carlisle Airport.
Calgarth (at Troutbeck Bridge) is now the site of Lakes School.

Today a memorial garden has been unveiled at the school, replacing a lone tree, which was the previous public memorial.
The ceremony was attended by the ten former children who are still alive.

While on school grounds it is accessible to the general public.

For anyone interested there is a longstanding permanent exhibition upstairs at Windermere Library.

Calgarth had previously been used for the assembly of Sunderland flying boats.

Posted by
6456 posts

I remember the documentary of the same name on PBS a few years ago. It's still available on the app

Posted by
1212 posts

There's a fictional account, as well, that I watched recently. It was very well done, I thought. Don't remember where I saw it, though.

Posted by
10192 posts

Just an addition- I have been told this evening that a plaque was also unveiled today outside the terminal building of Carlisle Airport.

On a frustrating and bizarre technicality that one does not qualify as a war memorial, the one at Windermere does.

Posted by
1757 posts

We had a terrific private driver and tour guide for a day out of Windermere who took us to see the Estate. June, 2025. I had seen the documentary, but hadn't put together the proximity of the property to where we were. David recognized, correctly, that this was a spot we might be interested in seeing. https://www.brooktours.co.uk/about.html

The Windermere Library has a wonderful special exhibit on the Estate, the times with the children, and the later use of the property. https://portal.ehri-project.eu/institutions/gb-006634 (oops - edit - I see Stuart mentioned the library exhibit also)

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