congenitaldisease:

This video depicts the moment Sir Nicholas Winton realises he is in the same room as hundreds of Jewish people he saved as children during the Holocaust. While appearing on the TV show, “That’s Life!” the host Esther Rantzen asked the audience: “May I ask, is there anyone in our audience tonight who owes their life to Nicholas Winton? If so, could you stand up, please?” To Winton’s shock, the entire audience stood up.

Winton was responsible for organising eight trains full of children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to London in 1939. While supporters in Britain were working to get Jewish intellectuals and communists out of Czechoslovakia, nobody was attempting to save the children so Winton took it on himself. Once Winston secured their escape, he travelled to Britain where he persuaded British officials to accept the children as long as foster homes were found. In all, Winton saved the lives of 669 children. He was not recognised for his achievements until 60 years later because he kept quiet about his exploits. In 2003, he received a knighthood from the queen for his services to humanity.