Henry Ebner

Born: 1937

Place of Birth: Vienna

Arrived in Britain: 16/08/1939

Interview Number: 147 (S)

Interview Summary

Date of interview: 06/02/2007

Henry Ebner, nee Heinz Ebner, was born 1937 in Vienna. His parents were cinema proprietors (Admiral Lichtspiele and Johann Strauss Kino). While his father was arrested and sent to Dachau, his mother managed to arrange domestic visas to the UK. The family came to the UK in August 1939. Henry’s father was interned at Central Promenade Camp on the Isle of Man for two months. From the age of eight to eighteen Henry was sent to ‘Stoatley Rough School’, in Surrey which catered in particular for refugee children. Henry Ebner became a solicitor and during his career was involved in restitution claims with Germany and pensions claims with Austria.

Place of Birth

The set-up was quite cosmopolitan in many ways and we had to do a lot of the chores ourselves. There was a big potato peeling machine there so we had to take turns. We had a rota, the bigger boys operating this potato peeling machine. We did the washing in the school. And there was also a farm in the school with a farmer. It was about a 10-minute, quarter of an hour walk from the school called The Farm. Again it had huts there where some of the older children lived. And some of the older children actually got involved in farming. And also tapped the stream to build a swimming pool. It was a horrible swimming pool but it served its purpose. We used to go swimming there and we used to pick the leeches off each other as we got out.

Life and leeches at Stoatley Rough

I think that one should be very grateful to the host country for offering sanctuary. I’m grateful that I’ve had the opportunity of bringing up a family in this country [...] I do feel some attachment to Vienna. I do occasionally still dream in German.

dreaming in German