Tante Anna remembered at Bunce Court
The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) is delighted to announce the unveiling of a special commemorative plaque in honour of Anna Essinger at Bunce Court on Monday 25 June 2018. Anna Essinger was the Founder and Headmistress of Bunce Court School. This year marks the 70th anniversary since the school closed in 1948. The ceremony was attended by a number of old ‘Bunce Courtians’ and family-members of Ms Essinger.
Anna Essinger was a German Jew born in 1879. In 1933, due to the impending Nazi threat in her homeland, she moved her school complete with its 66 mostly Jewish pupils to safety in England, re-establishing the institution in Otterden, Kent.
The new school was called New Herrlingen School, after the school left behind in Germany, but came to be known as Bunce Court. During the war Essinger also established a reception camp for some of the children who came to Britain on what became knowns as the Kindertransport, some of whom continued at the school.
After the war Bunce Court School welcomed child Holocaust survivors who returned from the camps. These children were the last pupils to join the school which closed in 1948, by which time Essinger had taught and cared for over 900 children, most of whom called her ‘Tante Anna’ or ‘TA’, regarding her as a loved aunt rather than their school teacher.
The Bunce Court School alumni were devoted to the school and organised reunions for 55 years after it closed. ‘Tante Anna’ remained in contact with many of them for the rest of her life, which she spent at Bunce Court. Her plaque states that she is “remembered with affection by so many for her great foresight, progressive educational endeavour, wisdom and compassion.” Her motto was “Give children a hand, give them a chance.”
88 year-old ex-pupil Susi Davids said, “Tante Anna was fantastic. She was virtually blind but she noticed everything! The most important thing I learnt from her was that we were all equal and we all counted whatever our academic ability, as long as we did our best.”
Ex-pupil Martin Lubowski, 87, said, “Tante Anna was wonderful but fierce! We all had to do manual work in the house and gardens as well as our academic work. I worked in the garden and Tante Anna gave me a book on flowers for my birthday. I thought it was for girls so I asked if she would change it for a dictionary, which she did. I can’t believe I had the guts to ask her!”
Ex-pupil Heidi Goldsmith, 85, said, “I was here when I was seven years old. I loved it here. I learnt so many skills which I still use. Thanks to Tante Anna I can do everything around the house: tiling, laying floors, decorating – everything.”
Founded in July 1941, the AJR represents and supports Jewish victims of Nazi oppression who rebuilt their lives in Britain. Alongside our social and welfare services we are committed to perpetuating the legacy of the refugees and are prominent supporters of several leading institutions engaged in Holocaust memorialisation in the UK.
AJR Trustee Frank Harding, said: “It is with great pleasure that we commemorate the life of Anna Essinger by recognising the devotion and care she gave to pupils at Bunce Court many of whom had been separated from their families. She is affectionately remembered by her former pupils who we are delighted were able to join us for this special occasion. We would like to thank Julia Miller, current owner of Bunce Court, for generously allowing us to install this plaque on her property.
“Through the AJR plaque scheme we are honouring prominent Jewish émigrés from Nazism who made a significant contribution to their adopted homeland. Last year we unveiled a plaque at the Edinburgh Festival to Sir Rudolf Bing for whom we have also installed a plaque at Glyndebourne. Other plaques have commemorated the biochemist and Nobel Prize winner Sir Hans Krebs, and Sir Ludwig Guttmann who founded the Paralympics. We have also installed a plaque on the site of the Cosmo restaurant in Swiss Cottage, in London, a famous meeting place for the refugees.
“We believe that these commemorative plaques will help form a tangible link between the illustrious earlier residents and the local community as well as fascinating residents and visitors. As well as being instructive and informative, they bring the past into the present, and they perpetuate the memory of the person being honoured.”
Ex-pupil Leslie Brent made a welcoming speech at the unveiling which has been adapted and can be read here. There is also a video of the speech available here. Ex-pupil Ruth Danson attended the event with her daughter Jackie who has kindly shared a slideshow of photos with us (© 2018 Jacqueline A Boronow Danson).
