England football fans in ‘sobering’ visit to Bergen Belsen
The visit was co-organised by the World Jewish Congress and group What Matters, which works to combat antisemitism and racism in sport
Francine Wolfisz is the Features Editor for Jewish News.
More than 40 England football fans and officials from the FA and Football Supporters Association embarked on a “sobering and insightful” visit to the Bergen Belsen memorial, as part of a special delegation on Monday.
The diverse group, which included fans from all backgrounds, had just hours earlier watched England’s opening 1-0 UEFA Euro 2024 victory against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen.
Many said they appreciated the “important and poignant” opportunity to learn more about the history of the Holocaust for their duration in Germany.
The visit, which featured a guided tour of the former Nazi concentration camp and a moving wreath-laying ceremony, was co-organised by the Cultural Foundation of the German Football Association, the World Jewish Congress and group What Matters, which works to combat antisemitism and racism in sport.
Among the participants was Lord John Mann, the UK Government’s independent advisor on antisemitism, who described the fans as “quite stunned” by their visit to Bergen-Belsen.
“You can’t prepare people for that kind of thing,” he said, speaking to Jewish News.
“They were unanimous in their feeling that it was hugely worthwhile. We learned about Bergen Belsen’s history and also the connection to British soldiers being involved in the liberation, which next year marks 80 years.
“It was highly appropriate that the Football Association wanted to be involved and very pleasing there was such a big take up.”
Bergen-Belsen began as a camp for Allied prisoners of war, but became a Nazi concentration camp in 1943 after it was turned over to the SS.
Disease and starvation was rife as a result of overcrowding and horrific living conditions, and it is believed around 50,000 people died there throughout the duration of the war, including Anne Frank and her sister, Margot. Most of the victims were Jewish.
After liberation, British forces burned down the whole camp to stop the spread of typhus.
Reflecting on his visit, Lord Mann said: “The fact that there’s nothing there because everything was deliberately destroyed, actually made it, at times, a more difficult experience for people. There was silence amid the graves, highly-visible mass graves.”
Andrew Gilbert, vice president of the Board of Deputies, recited kaddish as the group gathered around the obelisk memorial, before a wreath was laid by fans.
He described the moment as “very meaningful” and added: “To work with the FA and set up the opportunity for British fans, who chose to join the trip to a concentration camp just hours after getting back from the Serbia v England game was humbling.”
Dal Singh Darroch, head of diversity at the FA, said: “It was a very sobering and insightful day. I think fans really appreciated the opportunity and the experience was one many will never forget.”
One fan named Harry, who has travelled to Germany from Coventry, said: “It’s really important to visit these sites. I think it’s really important for fans to learn about this, to say Never Again, because it happened only 80 years ago.”
The tour was arranged as part of the organisers’ Football and Remembrance initiative, which is encouraging fans to visit memorials, places of remembrance and museums to learn more about the links between sports and Nazism, as well as hear stories of those who were persecuted.
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