A 95-year old Holocaust survivor shared his moving story as part of the annual Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration held on January 25.

Speaking to an audience of 90 at St Albans United Synagogue, Freddie Knoller began by describing how he was forced to leave his home in Vienna as a teenager to escape Nazi oppression. He was 17 years old when the Nazis entered Austria in 1938.

He spent the early part of the war moving from Belgium to France. Thanks to false papers, he was able for a time to lead a colourful but precarious life, eventually joining the French Resistance.

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However, his identity was soon exposed, and he confessed to his Jewish origins. Knoller was then deported to Auschwitz, where he managed to survive the labour and oppressive regime for 16 months.

He was then forced on a death march from Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen, where he was liberated by the British in April 1945.

Describing himself as the “happiest man alive”, Knoller attributed his survival to his optimistic attitude, and to never giving in.

“I am proud to have experienced what I have experienced”, he said. “I am proud to have fought for my life, and I am proud to be able to tell the world what happened.”

Mayor of St Albans, Cllr Frances Leonard, who hosted the event, called Knoller’s story “remarkable, shocking and deeply moving.”

“Commemorating such terrible episodes in history is very important if only in the hope that such things will never happen again, but sadly, we know that that is not the case”, he added.

“It’s vital therefore that all communities reach out to each other and share their values of decency no matter what race, creed or religion.”

Guests lit six memorial candles, one for each of the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, during a ceremony introduced by Rabbi Daniel Sturgess. This was followed by a minute of silence.

Chairman of St Albans United Synagogue, Lesley Marks, said in an opening speech that Freddie had survived the Holocaust with incredible resilience and bravery.

She also said: “Whilst reflecting on the past and never forgetting, we must strive to create a future of mutual understanding and respect.”

The event held in St Albans was one of several thousand events happening in the country to mark National Holocaust Memorial Day. Every year, communities join to remember those persecuted and murdered during the Holocaust and in other related genocides around the world.