Person    | Male  Born 19/5/1909  Died 1/7/2015

Sir Nicholas Winton

Categories: Children, Peace

Sir Nicholas George Winton MBE was a British banker and humanitarian who established an organisation to rescue children at risk from Nazi Germany. Born to German-Jewish parents who had emigrated to Britain at the beginning of the 20th century, Winton supervised the rescue of 669 children, most of them Jewish, from Czechoslovakia on the eve of WW2. Winton found homes for the children and arranged for their safe passage to Britain. This operation was later known as the Czech Kindertransport (German for "children's transport").

Born in Hampstead as Nicholas George Wertheim. His parents were German Jews who had moved to London two years earlier. They changed the family name to Winton and converted to Christianity. In 1938-9 he became involved, with others, in the work to get Jewish children out of Europe before the war began. Only Britain and Sweden agreed to take children. America was asked but failed to take any.

His rescue work was unknown until 1983 when he became a national hero and was honoured. Died, aged 106, in Slough.

There are statues of Winton at Prague railway station (by Flor Kent) and at Maidenhead railway station.

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Sir Nicholas Winton

Creations i

Kindertransport - Kent

{Carved into the right side of the plinth:} Pro dítě {Czech for “for the chil...

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Other Subjects

Coram's Fields

Coram's Fields

The memorial at the entrance to these fields tells how this playground came into existence. It is the only public space in London where adults are not allowed without children.

Place, Children, Gardens / Agriculture

3 memorials
Martin Dinnegan

Martin Dinnegan

Killed as the result of gang rivalries, aged 14.  Stabbed in Tollington Way.

Person, Children, Tragedy

1 memorial
The Children's Fold

The Children's Fold

A Barnardo's home, also referred to as Sheppard's House. It was established around 1887 at 182 Grove Road, E3. Its address is sometimes given as 180 Grove Road, so may have expanded into the neighb...

Group, Children, Philanthropy, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Roy Sterling

Roy Sterling

Devoted many years of his life to working with young people at Coram's Fields. Died before Spring 1993.

Person, Children

1 memorial
Francis Lord Derwent

Francis Lord Derwent

Francis Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone, 2nd Baron Derwent. Army officer and landowner. Attended Eton, 1864-9.  First born son to Harcourt Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone of Hackness Grange, Scarborough. Harcourt...

Person, Armed Forces, Children, Property, Social Welfare

1 memorial