Of the 10,000 German and Austrian Jewish children sent to safety in England on the legendary Kindertransport, around 2,300 came from Vienna. In this podcast season, we follow two frightened teenagers whose parents took them to the train station, then tried to escape themselves.
Seven actors in Vienna and seven in London read letters, postcards, reports and interviews that will break your heart and provide a very different approach to Holocaust history—as told through those who survived it.
Paul's story
We begin this episode in Vienna’s second district in 1938, and it was from an apartment on Springergasse that a 15-year old Jewish boy sent a letter to England, begging for help.
Anitta’s story
A few months later, Anitta’s parents took her to the train station and sent her on a Kindertransport to England. But would her parents find a way out?
Epilogue
On New Year’s Day, 1950, in a synagogue in Abbey Road in North London, Paul and Anitta began their life together. In the 1960s, Paul insisted on visiting Vienna. But why, asked his wife Anitta. “To kill a ghost,” Paul said.
Cast
Edward Serotta
Edward Serotta, Centropa’s director, has produced two dozen short films for Centropa and 4 documentaries for ABC Nightline in the US.
Edward is the narrator in episode 1.
Jeni Barnett
Jeni Barnett is a British radio presenter and actor who has done voice over work for five of our podcasts.
This season, Jeni reads letters by Anitta’s mother, Dora
Janet Suzman
Dame Janet Suzman, a veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company, has appeared in numeorus stage productions of Ibsen and Chekov and appeared in dozens of films, including Nicholas and Alexandra.
Janet reads the part of Anitta in episodes 2 and 3
Barbara Spitz
Barbara Spitz is a British/Austrian singer, author and actress who regularly performs on stage in Berlin, Vienna and london. Barbara is the narrator of Episodes two and three.
Allan Corduner
Allan Corduner has appeared in more than 150 films including Defiance, The Woman in Gold, and Tár. Allan also regulaly peforms on stage in London and has read for us in seven of our podcast seasons.
Allan reads several parts in this season, including an Australian camp commander, a British customs official and Anitta’s father.
Aaron Barashi
Aaron Barashi is a British child actor who provided the voice of Thomas in the UK dub of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go.
This is Aaron’s second Centropa podcast and he reads the original letter from Paul.
Victoria Nikolaevskaja
Victoria (Vika) Nikolaevskaja is a Viennese actress of Jewish and Russian descent. She is a Drama Centre London Alumni and has been acting since she was a child. Vika reads the letter that Anitta sent to her parents in 1939 in both English and in German.
Jonathan Schwers
Jonathan Schwers is Centropa’s coordinator for European Union projects and has also recorded and co-produced our podast series, which took him to watime Ukraine in 2022.
Jonathan reads the parts of German and British officials.
Moritz Boeswirth
Moritz Boeswirth, born in Vienna, studied Sociology at the University of Vienna, as well as on exchange at ITAM in Mexico, completed his MSc in Maastricht and is currently enrolled in Vienna’s Diplomatic Academy. Moritz has produced and narrated several of our podcasts.
Credits
To Kill A Ghost was produced in Vienna by Moritz Boeswirth.
This podcast season was made possible by the Austrian Federal Chancellery, the Austrian Future Fund, the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and Intenational Affairs, the Austrian National Fund for Victims of National Socialism, the Suzman Family Foundation
