Henry Wuga: Local MSP pays tribute to Holocaust survivor who fled to Scotland
Tributes have been paid to a Holocaust survivor who fled to Scotland from Germany after he died at the age of 100.
Henry Wuga MBE was sent to Glasgow at the start of the war after arriving in the UK on the Kindertransport in 1939, where he found a welcoming home.
Wuga celebrated his 100th birthday in February with friends and family at his Giffnock residence.
Jackson Carlaw MSP for Eastwood, Wuga’s constituency, who submitted a parliamentary motion to mark the centenary said:
“How joyful it was just last month to celebrate with Henry the reaching of his centenary. The years Henry and Ingrid gave over to sharing their story in schools across Scotland will never be forgotten by those who sat enthralled and deeply moved by the unique experience of a lifetime.”
”That legacy will now continue through the testimony which Henry recently recorded to ensure his experiences remain available for others and for years to come on film… What a man, what a life. May his memory be a blessing.”
Wuga met his future wife Ingrid Wolff, who also entered the UK on the Kindertransport, when he returned to Glasgow in later years.
For over 25 years both Wolf and his wife, shared their experiences of fleeing a Hitler controlled Germany to finding love in Glasgow to school students across the country, partnering with many holocaust memorial charities.
Jewish community voices are urging that the Holocaust work done by Wuga continues after his death as the Community Security Trust found that there were 4,103 instances of anti-Jewish racist hatred recorded across the UK in 2023, a 147% rise from the previous year.
David Grossman, Man Booker International prize winner and friend of Wuga reinforced the importance of Wuga’s Holocaust education in schools: “He was an active member of the (Holocaust Education Trust and Anne Frank Trust) and spoke frequently in interviews and schools about the holocaust and his experience as a Kindertransport child.
It is extremely important; the number of survivors are dwindling as the years go on and these are the people with the first-hand information. It is vital these people are given a voice to emphasise the atrocities that took place at that time.” Grossman added.
Wuga also dedicated his life to teaching people with missing limbs how to ski and was awarded an MBE by The Queen at the Palace of Holyrood House Edinburgh in 1999, for services to sport for disabled people.
Michael Newman CEO The Association of Jewish Refugees, who has worked with Wuga said:
“We are grateful to have had the opportunity to capture Henry’s testimony as part of our Refugee Voices archive. Capturing experiences like Henry’s helps preserve the record of the Holocaust and enables us all learn about his remarkable life and the contribution he made to his adopted home.
We will miss him greatly and are honoured to continue to tell his story as part of our work”
