Artefacts from Holocaust child survivors found in Windermere

Members of Staffordshire University have been conducting an archaeological dig since Monday, April 10, at the former Calgarth estate at Windermere where Holocaust child survivors fled.

They are searching for artefacts relating to the time the young holocaust survivors spent in the Lake District to recover after their experiences in the death camps of Nazi Germany. 

Calgarth Estate circa 1943 (Image: Submitted)

So far the group has found brick fragments and window glass but the most 'fascinating' discovery was the tube of German toothpaste, said one of the excavation leaders Kevin Colls.

"It is so exciting for us when we find personal objects that date back to that period of history," he said.

"Finding personal objects that may well have been brought to Windermere when they made that historic trip from the Ghetto in the Czech Republic to Windermere - that's what excites us the most.

"The toothpaste is one of the several items we have found. We have not anything quite as easy to match to the journey of the Windermere children as the toothpaste because it is a toothpaste that is made in former Czechoslovakia, and it would have been the type of thing that would have been common in the 1930s and 1940s in that part of the world.

"To have it here is quite remarkable, really."

Trevor Avery, of the Lake District Holocaust Project, said: "It was clearly brought to the area by either one of the children or one of the carers. So it is a direct link that we have with the children that were here. 

"We are now beginning to get emotional and powerful objects from that time, so this archaeology is part of that. 

"As the voices fade away, we are now beginning to uncover actual items and artefacts they brought with them.

"It is all part of our plan for the new centre that we intend to build near the sites where all this happened."

The excavations are being conducted to build up a picture of the life of the Windermere Children during their time in the Lake District.

All items found are being scanned to create 3D models to be shared online in virtual museums and used to educate future generations.

The excavation is part of the continued efforts by the Lake District Holocaust Project to highlight the story of The Windermere Children.