Tomi Reichental

Reichental was born in Merašice, Czechoslovakia (today Slovakia) in 1935 to Jewish farmers and lived with his family on their farm until he was the age of eight. At this age laws started coming in that prohibited the movement and rights of Jewish people and that is when he and his family went into hiding.^[6] He, his mother, his brother, and his grandmother were caught and taken to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1944 where they remained until the camp was liberated by the British in 1945. More than 30 members of his family were killed during the Holocaust.^[7]

He moved to Ireland in 1959 but did not speak about his experiences for half a century.^[7]

Reichental is known for his talks about his experience of the Holocaust as a child. As of 2014^[update] he is one of three Holocaust survivors residing in Ireland.^[8] He gives talks in secondary schools, colleges and at events across the country. His aim is to educate people about what happened during the Holocaust so that we can remember the people who died in it and so it never happens again: "After all the horror, I am doing my best to keep the memory of those lost ones alive. We—you, me, your children, my children—must never forget."^[6]

In 2007, Reichental was approached by Gerry Gregg, Seamus Deasy, and Oliver Donohoe about making a film about him and his experiences in Bergen-Belsen. He agreed, and in late 2007, they traveled to Germany to film Reichental talking about his experiences in the concentration camp, while standing where it once stood.^[6]

In the documentary Close to Evil, Reichental tried to interview former SS guard Hilde Michnia, but she declined, though she did appear in the documentary.^[9][10] This led to Hans-Jürgen Brennecke, a Hamburg prosecutor, filing charges against her as she was suspected of participating in the forcing of prisoners on an evacuation march in which 1,400 women died in 1945.^[9][10] While attempting to meet with her, Reichental had hoped to find signs of atonement from Hilde and said he had been open to the idea that she was possibly a "different person to the young woman who was convicted of war crimes in 1945," but she declined to meet with him and denied any personal responsibility in the Holocaust.^[9] About this, Reichental said:

"That I did not meet Hilde was not the big letdown, but rather the fact that Hilde is still stuck in the 1940s, this is what disappointed me.

As Jews we have a tradition of atonement, it is a rich and noble concept. I am not a rabbi, nor am I a very observant Jew. But I am a product of my background and, for me, I understand atonement as a person's effort to acquire a new heart and a new spirit.

Atonement, as I see it, is about repentance and reparation. Hilde had no interest in any of this. By her action of not meeting, in denying the murder of inmates in Bergen-Belsen, she has chosen to justify and distort her own role during the Third Reich."^[9]

In 2011, Reichental's book I Was a Boy in Belsen was published by O'Brien Press Ltd. In this autobiography, Reichental recounts his experiences as a child prisoner in the Bergen-Belsen camp.^[6]

Reichental has received many awards for his efforts to promote tolerance and to educate young people about the importance of remembrance and reconciliation and it has made him one of the most inspirational figures in modern Ireland. In 2015, Trinity College Dublin awarded him an honorary doctorate.^[11] He was conferred an honorary doctorate by Dublin City University in March 2016, citing his recent advocacy:^[12]

In the past number of years Tomi Reichental has proven to be one of the most inspirational figures in modern Ireland. His effort to ensure that the important themes of remembrance, forgiveness, conflict resolution and reconciliation remain to the forefront of modern Irish thought is truly important. In an age where we see horrific pictures of refugees attempting to flee appalling regimes to find sanctuary in the West, Tomi Reichental is a vivid example of the positive impact refugees make to modern Irish society. Honouring Tomi Reichental with the highest honour that Dublin City University can bestow is a fitting tribute to Tomi and his work. It also expresses this University's commitment to multiculturalism and inclusion and showcases our solidarity with the plight of refugees today, who seek a better life, as Tomi and his family did over fifty years ago.

In 2019, the Bar Council of Ireland awarded Reichental a Human Rights Award in recognition of his work promoting tolerance, remembrance and reconciliation.^[7] He is one of the last two Holocaust survivors living in Ireland.^[13]

Reichental was awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2023 Special Honours "for services to holocaust education, awareness and commemoration."^[5]