The Holocaust and Wales: Jewish refugees as domestic servants

Description

This resource looks at refugees from Nazi Germany who became domestic servants in Wales. This was the most common occupation among refugees, with 20,000 women from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia entering Britain on domestic visas before September 1939.

Students will hear an oral history testimony describing Fanny Höchstetter’s experience as a domestic servant and hotel chambermaid.

Image above: Fanny and Bertl Höchstetter shortly after their dismissal from the German civil service in 1933. Their gestures show what they thought of Hitler. Image: © Ernie Hunter.

This resource was produced as part of the 'Côf a lithr, llythyrau a geidw: creating Holocaust resources for Welsh schools' partnership project between Centre for the Movement of People (CMOP), Aberystwyth University, and Jewish History Association of South Wales/Cymdeithas Hanes Iddewig De Cymru (JHASW/CHIDC). The project is kindly supported by the Association of Jewish Refugees, Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust, Jewish Historical Society of England and Garfield Weston Foundation.

Curriculum for Wales

Health and Wellbeing, Humanities, Languages, Literacy and Communication

Age: 14-16 / Progression Step: 5

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