My Voice: Tommy Schweiger

The My Voice Project is a unique initiative by The Fed, Manchester‘s leading social care charity serving the Jewish community. The My Voice Project empowers Holocaust survivors and refugees from Nazi persecution who settled in the UK to share their entire life stories including experiences before, during and after the war years. This project involves a bespoke methodological approach, producing books that preserve their unique voices. The My Voice Project ensures firsthand accounts are remembered and valued for future generations, highlighting the critical role of individual perspectives in ensuring a deeper historical understanding. Tommy Schweiger was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1938. The Nazis had come to power five years earlier at a time when the Jewish population in Germany was less than one percent of the total population. Tommy was born just after the November Pogroms/Kristallnacht, a brutal turning point for Germany‘s Jews which saw Nazis and ordinary citizens destroy synagogues, Jewish properties and cemeteries. In August 1939, three days before the declaration of war, baby Tommy and his parents left Berlin by train, arriving at Waterloo Station in London, with only 10 shillings and a case full of nappies. The family settled in Manchester in 1943. Despite his parents‘ struggles during his formative years, Tommy had a wonderful childhood. At 19, Tommy chose to return to Germany for a textile apprenticeship, which set him on a path to a successful career in the industry. Growing up as an only child, Tommy learnt that much of his family perished in the concentration camps. Tommy has recently uncovered more about his family history, including a surprising discovery of relatives in America, Argentina, Israel and France. Had it not been for the Holocaust, he would have had a large family. >Tommy‘s book is part of the My Voice book collection.