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10:00am Friday 3rd April 2009 in News
By Dave King
FOR Swindon Council leader Rod Bluh, yesterday’s official opening of the Anne Frank + You exhibition at the Central Library had a very special meaning.
While Rod’s father was able to escape Vienna by fleeing to London at the start of the Second World War, he left behind his grandmother and uncle who both perished at the hands of the Nazis.
Rod believes his grandmother was transported to Minsk, in what is now Belarus, and shot in a forest along with other Jews before being buried in mass graves.
His 14-year-old uncle, who was mentally disabled, was used by the Nazis as part of their human experimentation programme, and later died in a gas chamber.
Rod, along with South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove, Swindon mayor Steve Wakefield, and Dr Mike Pringle, director of the Swindon Cultural Partnership, were among the prime movers to bring the Anne Frank exhibition to the town.
“I think everyone can learn from the Anne Frank story,” said Rod.
“I don’t believe when Anne wrote her diaries that she could have possibly imagined the effect it would have on millions of people.”
He added: “With the Holocaust you never forget it, it will always live with me. This was the blackest period in human history and we need to learn from it. We have to make sure that something like this never happen again.”
The chilling story of Anne, who together with her family sought sanctuary in the upper floors of an Amsterdam house during the Nazi occupation of Holland, is told through an absorbing exhibition.
It not only deals with the diary and Anne’s writings, but looks to wider issues such as racial hatred, war and conflict.
Mrs Snelgrove revealed that talks to bring the exhibition to Swindon took place a while ago when she was having dinner with the chairman of the Anne Frank charity in this country.
“She started telling me about the profound effect the exhibit was having on the community wherever it went,” she said.
“This exhibition brings the Anne Frank story up to date and allows us to think about the terrible things which did happen in the past and asks us what lessons can be learnt, in particular of our society.
“We only have to look around the world today. Problems like this start off very small, like in Nazi Germany, and which are then exploited. I can only commend the council for bringing this important exhibition to Swindon.”
The Anne Frank exhibition, which is free and is hosted at the Central Library in Regent Circus until April 29, is part of the Think Swindon initiative which features a range of cultural events in the town during the month.
For more details of other events taking place as part of Think Swindon log onto www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk or www.thinkswindon.org.
Comments(33)
Donkey
says...
10:49am Fri 3 Apr 09
Janais is back
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10:51am Fri 3 Apr 09
IRofE
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11:11am Fri 3 Apr 09
Janais is back wrote:Interesting...
The Lesson learned? - That it is sad and regrettable that so many brave men gave their lives in the belief they were making their homelands a safe place in which to live - but that was what was expected of them back in those days, I really cannot believe it would be the same if it happened now - they would run out of white feathers. Atrocities aside - it would have been interesting to see what a Nazi England would have been like - Would the low life and other criminals have been allowed to flourish?
IRofE
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11:13am Fri 3 Apr 09
Donkey wrote:your political correctness is touching, however I persist and sign, I stand by my comments and no I won't retract nor apologise for exercising my FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
Think that's humorous, 'ey? There's a time and a place.
Jock Strap
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11:20am Fri 3 Apr 09
Donkey wrote:Agreed Donkey 100%.
Think that's humorous, 'ey? There's a time and a place.
Jock Strap
says...
11:26am Fri 3 Apr 09
IRofE wrote:Which of course YOU WOULDN'T HAVE HAD IF ADOLF HAD BEEN IN CHARGE!! - you see we can all use the caps lock! Granted, Labour in my opinion, haven't exactly excelled but your comparison comment as Donkey observed was, freedom of speech or not, crass in the extreme.
Donkey wrote: Think that's humorous, 'ey? There's a time and a place.your political correctness is touching, however I persist and sign, I stand by my comments and no I won't retract nor apologise for exercising my FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
Berry.Basset
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11:36am Fri 3 Apr 09
Janais is back
says...
11:38am Fri 3 Apr 09
DrGonzo-09
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11:40am Fri 3 Apr 09
IRofE
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11:40am Fri 3 Apr 09
Jock Strap wrote:your endoctrinement is clear and your lack of historical knowledge pathetic.
IRofE wrote:Which of course YOU WOULDN'T HAVE HAD IF ADOLF HAD BEEN IN CHARGE!! - you see we can all use the caps lock! Granted, Labour in my opinion, haven't exactly excelled but your comparison comment as Donkey observed was, freedom of speech or not, crass in the extreme.Donkey wrote: Think that's humorous, 'ey? There's a time and a place.your political correctness is touching, however I persist and sign, I stand by my comments and no I won't retract nor apologise for exercising my FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
IRofE
says...
11:46am Fri 3 Apr 09
DrGonzo-09 wrote:I dont drink the daily Labour beverage, so excuse me for still having a critical mind and the presence of esprit to see clearly how they are transforming this country into a multicultural aberration.
Just because we have the freedom of speech please don't feel you have to use it everyday. Making crass statements intended to draw a reaction isn't exactly why freedom of speech is regarded as such a luxury among those who do not have it.
Jock Strap
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11:51am Fri 3 Apr 09
Jock Strap
says...
11:53am Fri 3 Apr 09
Berry.Basset wrote:You'd be far from being the first to fall foul of the Adver Taliban! Did you query why and did they respond?
Hi all! Did you miss me? I had my account suspended because I wasnt allowed my right of free speech by the Adver. If you dont post want they want you to, they will remove it as they had done to me countless times and then suspended me for no reason - it makes me sick.
IRofE
says...
11:54am Fri 3 Apr 09
Jock Strap wrote:why was Rudolf Hess sent to England?
Don't be so naive if you think Herr Schickelgruber would have co-operated with Winston once he'd got his hands on these shores you are sadly deluded -which from some of your other posts I've long suspected! and what on earth are you on about re "your endoctrinement is clear" ? Lol - security word "soft-mass" how very appropriate!
trustnopolitician
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12:02pm Fri 3 Apr 09
Al Smith
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12:06pm Fri 3 Apr 09
Berry.Basset wrote:You (and everyone else who goes on about 'freedom of speech') forget that the Adver is privately not publicly owned. Therefore NO right to freedom of speech (or expression) exists here.
Hi all! Did you miss me?
I had my account suspended because I wasnt allowed my right of free speech by the Adver.
If you dont post want they want you to, they will remove it as they had done to me countless times and then suspended me for no reason - it makes me sick.
IRofE
says...
12:15pm Fri 3 Apr 09
Al Smith wrote:Here comes the Human Rights:-)
Berry.Basset wrote: Hi all! Did you miss me? I had my account suspended because I wasnt allowed my right of free speech by the Adver. If you dont post want they want you to, they will remove it as they had done to me countless times and then suspended me for no reason - it makes me sick.You (and everyone else who goes on about 'freedom of speech') forget that the Adver is privately not publicly owned. Therefore NO right to freedom of speech (or expression) exists here. To quote article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 (the important bit is in CAPS): (1) Everyone has the right of freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas WITHOUT INTERENCE BY PUBLIC AUTHORITY and regardless of frontiers. This Article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises. (2) The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.
DrGonzo-09
says...
12:29pm Fri 3 Apr 09
IRofE wrote:Ask your Grandparents!!!! Your condescension knows no limits. I don't "drink the Labour beverage" either but a lot more people are responsible for the state of this country, it's not all down to the Mssr Blair/Brown.
DrGonzo-09 wrote: Just because we have the freedom of speech please don't feel you have to use it everyday. Making crass statements intended to draw a reaction isn't exactly why freedom of speech is regarded as such a luxury among those who do not have it.I dont drink the daily Labour beverage, so excuse me for still having a critical mind and the presence of esprit to see clearly how they are transforming this country into a multicultural aberration. If you want to learn something: it is not people in the ghettos in attics/basements than destroyed Nazism. Ask your grandparents!
Berry.Basset
says...
12:35pm Fri 3 Apr 09
IRofE wrote:Lol - I didn't even bother reading what he said. That guy Al Smith normally writes drivel.
Al Smith wrote:Here comes the Human Rights:-)Berry.Basset wrote: Hi all! Did you miss me? I had my account suspended because I wasnt allowed my right of free speech by the Adver. If you dont post want they want you to, they will remove it as they had done to me countless times and then suspended me for no reason - it makes me sick.You (and everyone else who goes on about 'freedom of speech') forget that the Adver is privately not publicly owned. Therefore NO right to freedom of speech (or expression) exists here. To quote article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 (the important bit is in CAPS): (1) Everyone has the right of freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas WITHOUT INTERENCE BY PUBLIC AUTHORITY and regardless of frontiers. This Article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises. (2) The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.
Janais is back
says...
1:10pm Fri 3 Apr 09
Al Smith
says...
1:24pm Fri 3 Apr 09
Berry.Basset
says...
1:44pm Fri 3 Apr 09
IRofE
says...
2:20pm Fri 3 Apr 09
Al Smith wrote:In your world of leftwing non-sense, the attic/ghetto fighters won the war and are the ones we should be learning from.
Berry.Basset, Wotton Bassett - well you're the one who raised the issue of the Adver violating your right to freedom of speech. To quote your post "I had my account suspended because I wasnt allowed my right of free speech by the Adver." Well you have NO right to freedom of speech here. At least the drivel I write doesn't get me banned!
Donkey
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3:54pm Fri 3 Apr 09
Al Smith
says...
4:32pm Fri 3 Apr 09
IRofE wrote:What on earth is going with this place?
Al Smith wrote:In your world of leftwing non-sense, the attic/ghetto fighters won the war and are the ones we should be learning from.
Berry.Basset, Wotton Bassett - well you're the one who raised the issue of the Adver violating your right to freedom of speech. To quote your post "I had my account suspended because I wasnt allowed my right of free speech by the Adver." Well you have NO right to freedom of speech here. At least the drivel I write doesn't get me banned!
Well in my world, that tends towards the right, we assumed that war were won by soldiers doing their duties and that we should be learning from heroes, their courage & sacrifices.
I have empathy for victims, but I rather glorify the fighters!
But then again, you building a Nanny State so we can only be at antipodes!
Jock Strap
says...
4:43pm Fri 3 Apr 09
Bobby Bee
says...
5:11pm Fri 3 Apr 09
Bobby Bee
says...
6:52pm Fri 3 Apr 09
Berry.Basset wrote:Why are you back again then?
Hi all! Did you miss me? I had my account suspended because I wasnt allowed my right of free speech by the Adver. If you dont post want they want you to, they will remove it as they had done to me countless times and then suspended me for no reason - it makes me sick.
Jock Strap
says...
7:23pm Fri 3 Apr 09
I Too
says...
10:38pm Fri 3 Apr 09
Chrisg46
says...
12:12am Tue 7 Apr 09
Mavis
says...
1:37pm Tue 7 Apr 09
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IRofE says...
10:14am Fri 3 Apr 09
Probably that Labour have destroyed Britain more surely than Nazi Germany would have done should Britain had been invaded!