b'Issue 16 The British School of AmsterdamVisit from Holocaust Survivor, David Dickie Groenteman We were privileged to have an audience with David Groenteman, a 99 year old Holocaust Survivor who was once imprisoned in the school building.Dickie had been captured during World War Two,Dickies anti-war message was powerful,working for the Resistance, and was imprisoned inas was his charisma and knack for storytelling. the Havenstraat Detention Centre. He could stillGCSE and A Level History pupils were sat in awe, remember and locate his cell. After his incarcerationperfectly still, and hanging on to his every word. here, he was taken to Auschwitz, where heThey realised what an incredible and rare miraculously survived after a gruelling 3 years.opportunity it was to ask questions and listen At the end of the war, after helping the Red Crossto someone who had been through so much, organise aid for others, Dickie had a remarkablesomeone who had actually experienced things journey back to try to find his family in the Oud- they had only read about it textbooks. Zuid of Amsterdam. As soon as Dickie wasPupils are currently writing letters to Davidcaptured, his family were moved by his friends into express their thanks and further thoughts. the Resistance to an annex in Haarlem, where they spent three years in hiding. After the war andAron wrote, Your bravery throughout thedevastated by what had happened to his country,whole journey is really motivating and it isDickie moved to Australia to begin a new life. an experience that I will always remember. For 30 years, Dickie did not talk about the war, butDavid added, Thank you for enriching our eventually he started to open up and now he thinkseducation and leaving a lasting mark on our that it, whilst painful, is more important than ever tohearts with your remarkable story.share his story with young people to prevent suchThe BSA and this extraordinary occasion will terrible atrocities from happening again. He flew allappear as part of the documentary, The Flying the way from Australia in his 100th year to revisitDutchman, due to be released in Australia.his past and The British School of Amsterdam.19'