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BBC Breakfast Broadcast – Holocaust Survivor Peter Lantos BEM
Westminster City School were privileged to welcome Peter Lantos BEM to speak to students who are members of the Debate Club about his experiences surviving the Holocaust. This session was filmed by crew members from BBC Breakfast and aired on Tuesday 7 January 2025.
The students involved were introduced to an exclusive reading of his graphic novel adaptation of his award-winning book for young adults that depicts his experiences as a young boy in concentration camp Belsen, titled ‘The Boy Who Didn’t Want To Die’.
This opportunity proved to be a remarkable and deeply moving experience for the students involved who shared that the incredible message of hope - even in the greatest moments of darkness - was really inspiring to them and they were keen to ensure that Peter’s story is shared with as many people as possible.
Ronni, who is in Year 12 at Westminster City School’s Sixth Form, said:
“I found the experience inspiring. It was amazing to interact with Peter and ask a variety of questions which he was willing to answer. I also found it admirable to see how he was able to speak so eloquently about something so traumatic.” Ronni will also be leading on assemblies during Holocaust Memorial Week and will be reflecting on her trip to Auschwitz as part of the HET scheme. The experience was in partnership with the BBC and Holocaust Educational Trust."
Year 12 student at Westminster City School’s Sixth Form, Alexandra, added:
“I think what stood out to me the most was Peter’s recollection of how his mother protected him which really highlighted the power of hope in even the most horrific situations – it is very profound.”
‘Peter Lantos was born in 1939 in Makó, a small provincial town in the south-eastern corner of Hungary. In the summer of 1944, he was deported with his parents to the concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen in Germany where his father died of starvation. Peter has had a hugely successful career in academic medicine as a professor, is internationally known and a member of the Academy of Medical Sciences.’
