THOMAS Keble pupils were left awe-struck by the moving recollections of Bergen-Belsen survivor Rudi Oppenheimer, who visited the Eastcombe school recently.
Mr Oppenheimer, who moved to the UK after the Second World War, told the students how he was just 11-years-old when he and his family were deported to the infamous concentration camp in north west Germany at the height of the Holocaust.
Despite being a food distributor, which enabled him to smuggle extra food for his family, both of Rudi’s parents died during their 14-months imprisonment, while his elder brother Paul went on to publish a book about his experiences.
"We were starving," he told pupils.
"We were so weak we just could not move the corpses anymore."
Head teacher Chris Steer said: "The pupils described him as one of the best speakers they had ever listened to. "No one could have failed to be moved and inspired by his story."
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