The Saga of Nicholas Winton
Category
Local Heroes & Everyday Saviors
Era / Tenure
Active Era
Leaderboard Rank
#9 in Local Heroes & Everyday Saviors
Verified Hearts
46,900 Hearts
ORIGINS & FORMATIVE YEARS
Roots, Upbringing & Early Influences
Born in London in 1909 to German-Jewish immigrant parents who had converted to Christianity, Nicholas Winton worked as a young stockbroker on the London Stock Exchange with a keen socialist conscience and passion for humanitarian causes.
THE STRUGGLE & HARDSHIPS
Facing Adversity, Rejections & The Grind
In December 1938, on the eve of a skiing holiday in Switzerland, Winton diverted to Prague to assist a friend working with refugees fleeing the Nazi annexation of the Sudetenland. Horrified by the refugee camps filled with vulnerable families facing imminent Nazi occupation, he abandoned his holiday to set up an impromptu rescue bureau from his Prague hotel room.
Key Milestone & Career Defining Moment
In December 1938, on the eve of a skiing holiday in Switzerland, Winton diverted to Prague to assist a friend working with refugees fleeing the Nazi annexation of the Sudetenland.
