History student Michael Hart presents Holocaust survivor Joanna Millan with a gift from St Patrick’s Grammar School Armagh
The History Department in St Patrick’s Grammar School recently had the opportunity of hosting a visit from Holocaust survivor, Joanna Millan. The Lord Mayor, Sharon Haughey introduced Joanna and emphasised how privileged St Patrick’s students were to be able to meet such an inspirational woman. Councillor Thomas O’Hanlon and representatives of the Good Relations Department from Armagh City and District Council also helped St Patrick’s welcome their very special guest. Joanna spoke to over 340 students in St Patrick’s Grammar school and talked with warmth and honesty about her experiences of growing up in Nazi occupied Europe.
Holocaust survivor Joanna Millan speaks to students of St Patrick’s Grammar School Armagh
Joanna was born Bela Rosenthal in August 1942 in Berlin. At the end of February 1943, Bela’s father was taken from the streets of Berlin and sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau where he was killed. Later that year in June, Bela and her mother were taken from their home and sent to Theresienstadt, a concentration camp 50 miles outside of Prague. In 1944, when Bela was two, her mother contracted TB due to the conditions in the camp, leaving Bela orphaned and alone in the camp. The conditions in the camp were horrendous and, in addition to the dangers in Thereseienstadt, there was always the threat of being sent on to Auschwitz. It is approximated that only 11% of those who entered Threseienstadt survived. Therefore it is even more surprising that a three year old orphan defied all odds to survive. Food was scarce. There were none of the assumed childhood ‘basics’ such as toys and Joanna remembers that she and five other young orphans were mostly left to their own devices and looked after each other like family. This is particularly moving when we realise that the oldest of these orphans was only three years and ten months when they were rescued from the camp.
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