Laja's Way Home part 1

DEC 14, 202428 MIN
The History Listen

Laja's Way Home part 1

DEC 14, 202428 MIN

Description

<p>In 1945, Laya Semler became the last Jew sent to a concentration camp from Wennigsen, Germany.  Her non-Jewish husband Adolf chose slave labour rather than abandon her.  They both survived. In 2022, the village of Wennigsen invited their Australian family back to commemorate Laya and Adolf’s bravery. Told by their great-grandchildren, Laya and Adolf’s story is testament to the power love has to bridge even the greatest differences.  But it’s also the story of a town only just coming to terms with the truth of its past.  A truth that, as Laya and Adolf’s descendants discover first-hand, not everyone in the town is ready to accept...</p><p>Joanna Kalowski at the opening of the new street in Wennigsen, Germany, named after her grandmother Laya Semler</p><p>Guests:</p><ul><li>Joanna Kalowski - internationally recognised mediator and granddaughter of Laya and Adolf Semler</li><li>Michael Wittich - historian for the town of Wennigsen</li><li>Franz Blazek - former mayor of Wennigsen</li><li>Silke Stremlau - resident of Wennigsen</li></ul><p>Credits:</p><p>Writers: Rick Kalowski and Michaela Kalowski</p><p>Presenters: Michaela Kalowski and Rick Kalowski</p><p>Producer: Claudia Taranto</p><p>Sound Engineer: Hamish Camilleri</p><p>Research assistance : Tadhg Kalowski</p>