Britain and the Holocaust

A Tale of Two Hostels

Project overview

From September 1937 to November 1939, 29 Basque children from an orphanage in Bilbao came to Cambridge to escape the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. From around 1940 to 1946, Jewish teenage refugees from Nazi Europe were cared for at a hostel in 25 Parkside run by the Cambridge Refugee Committee led by Greta Burkill.

The project involved staff and students from Parkside Federation and the Red Balloon Learning Centre. It involved original research, study trips, expert speakers and much more. It was generously funded by the Heritage Lottery fund and managed by Keystage.

Free resources:

Digital Exhibition Boards

Consists of 8 panels including the history of the Kindertransport, the Spanish Civil War, the history of the two Cambridge buildings and individual stories of the children who lived there.

“It was an honour to be part of a project to commemorate these brilliant people"
Parkside Federation student

"I've learned a lot about the struggles that the refugees from different parts of the world face."
Red Balloon student

Participants after the showcase event

Image gallery

Downloadable resources

Exhibition Boards

23.5MB