VE Day 80 Talks – ‘The saved and the spurned: Northern Ireland, Vienna and the Holocaust’, by Noel Russell

The second of our VE Day 80 Talks at the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum …

For months before the Second World War, hundreds of persecuted Jews, mainly from Nazi-occupied Vienna, tried to escape to Northern Ireland. They had learned of a scheme to tackle the region’s unemployment by financially supporting skilled professionals to create local jobs. Almost all applicants were rejected, and more than 125 of these men, women and children were murdered in the Holocaust. This talk describes what happened to those families who came to Northern Ireland – and to those who did not – and how local activists saved several refugees.

Noel Russell, former news editor of the Irish News, is a journalist and TV producer. His compelling book on the plight of persecuted Jews who sought refuge in Northern Ireland was published in 2024.

Our talks are free and in person, and take place in the museum’s historic Assembly Room. Booking is required. Doors open at 6.30pm for tea and coffee on arrival, and talks start promptly at 7pm. Please note there is no allocated seating for this event.

For more information or to book, contact museum reception by:

• Calling into museum reception
• T: 028 9266 3377
• E: ilc.reception@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

Or to book online please visit: Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum event tickets from TicketSource