Winton is honored in Prague by refugee children he saved

A new street in Prague has been named in honour of Sir Nicholas Winton, who rescued hundreds of children from Nazi-occupied Czech Republic.

Some of the “children” rescued by Sir Nicholas attended the naming ceremony along with a delegation from the Association of Jewish Refugees.
The initiative to name the street came from the Prague 7 district in cooperation with the Memorial of Silence and with the support of the AJR and the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic.

Former refugees who were there alongside members of the Winton family included Alexandra Greensted, Lady Grenfell-Baines MBE, Petr Schiller and Rev. John Fieldsend BEM.

The renaming of the street coincides with the 85th anniversary of the last planned Winton Train, which was supposed to take children to safety but was prevented from doing so because World War II broke out that day. The participants later boarded Deutsche Bahn trains that deported them from Bubny station to Nazi concentration camps.

Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines, who travelled to the UK from Prague as an unaccompanied child, said: “It is deeply moving to stand here in Prague alongside other Winton children, 85 years after the Nazis tore our worlds apart. It was through the imaginative and courageous actions of Sir Nicholas Winton and his colleagues that so many Czech Jews were given the chance to build new lives for themselves in Britain. So today, together with the Association of Jewish Refugees, we stand with pride in paying tribute to our saviour and in deep sadness for those we have had to leave behind.

Prague residents have been waiting for a long time for the connection between Letná and Holešovice. As part of the ongoing modernization of the railway, a pedestrian and bicycle overpass was built that connects Veletržní and Dělnická streets and significantly shortens the journey between the two parts of the city.

The new thoroughfare will connect Veletržní and Dělnická streets and follow the route of Prague's former Jewish transports from Bubny station to the ghettos and concentration camps. In addition, the street will be crossed by a railway corridor that follows the route of former Jewish deportations. The street, bypassing Bubny station, will commemorate the stories and experiences of the refugee children who fled Nazi-occupied Czech Republic on the Kindertransport and the brave families who decided to send their children to Britain.

Jan Čižinský, Mayor of Prague 7, commented: “In Prague 7, we are very proud that a street in our area can bear the name of this extraordinary personality. At the same time, the connection between Holešovice and Letná, which we have been striving for for a very long time, is the best gift for this year's 140th anniversary of Prague 7. Today, a temporary pedestrian and bicycle path is being opened here, which will later, when a new urban district is built around it, be replaced by a full-fledged road that will symbolically pass by the Prague-Bubny railway station, the Monument of Silence and the statue of the Gate of Infinity. All these places are a lasting reminder of the dark side of world history, but also of the heroism, courage and humility of people like Sir Nicholas Winton.”

Michael Newman, CEO of the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR), said: “It is a great honour for the Association of Jewish Refugees to bring together four Winton children, their families and several other descendants for this poignant memorial service for Sir Nicholas Winton. It is hugely symbolic that his efforts are recognised and celebrated, and the heroic deeds of many others with whom he worked are also recognised. In remembering Sir Nicholas, we also honour the parents who sent their children into an uncertain future, and the foster families who gave refuge to the youngest victims of Nazi oppression. We sincerely hope that this memorial will educate and communicate this important story to all people, and that the rescue of the Kindertransports will never be necessary again.”

Petr Papoušek, Chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic, said: “Naming a street after Sir Nicholas Winton is not only a tribute to his legacy, but also a clear reminder of the values ​​we must always uphold – compassion, courage and justice.”

Jiří Svoboda, General Director of the Railway Construction Company, said: “The place through which the newly built road passes has an important historical heritage, and I am glad that it will be preserved thanks to its name. The second goal that has been achieved here is to connect the city. We think about this systematically in our projects. The role of the railway is to connect people, not to separate them. For more than a hundred years, the railway was a barrier in this place, and that is changing today. I look forward to next year, when we will complete our efforts with the opening of the new Bubny railway station. It aspires to become the center of the entire future district.”