VE Day: The Story of Major Leonard Berney 1920-2016

Event Description

Born to Jewish parents in London in 1920, Leonard Berney joined the army immediately after school and was appointed an officer aged 18. Several years later he was one of the first of the Allied troops through the gates of the disease-ridden, overcrowded Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp where he came face-to-face with its many horrors. He remained there for 14 weeks, helping save as many lives as possible, and becoming the Commander of the Belsen Displaced Persons Camp. After the war, Leonard became a successful businessman running the UK’s largest clothing factory and later, his own haute couture dress company.

The talk, given by Leonard’s son John Wood, includes a detailed personal account of the liberation of the camp with video testimony by both Leonard and Belsen survivors, as well as many historical and personal photographs. It emphasises the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was drawn up in response to the Holocaust, and it gives hope that future atrocities can be prevented through human rights education.

Please book your free seat in advance to avoid disappointment. Feel free to stay and watch a free film afterwards in the same accessible space.

Event Partner

Generation 2 Generation (G2G) is a Holocaust Education Charity, established to empower second and third generation Holocaust survivor descendants to present their family histories to a wide variety of audiences. Through the use of survivor testimony, we aim to keep these Holocaust stories alive and promote the importance of inclusivity and human rights.