Joe tells the interviewer what he discovered about the rest of his parents’ family. He mentions continuing anti-Semitism in Europe. Then he describes his last, and favourite, career change. J.C: [Joe is asked about the fate of the rest of his family]. …because I found letters. I’ve got a lot of letters that I’m going… Continue Reading Joe Cent – Integration
Joe talks about his early life in Scotland and his mother’s desire ‘to blend in’. He also describes his education and varied career. INT: You wouldn’t have had any contact with other Jewish families would you? J.C: No, not much. No, no. INT: I see that’s very interesting. And then what happened? You were educated… Continue Reading Joe Cent – Settling In
Joe talks about his father’s military career. He explains why a chance encounter brought him and his mother to Scotland. INT: So how was it you came here to Scotland? What happened? J.C: My father had been in the military cadets which was part of university life in Warsaw during the 1921 attacks by the… Continue Reading Joe Cent – Life During The War
Read the Transcript J.C: I was born in France in the town of Valenciennes on the 20th of March 1937 and my certificate of birth has me as Joseph Samuel Centnerszwer. INT: Thanks. You were obviously very young; are you able to tell us a little about your family life before you came to Britain?… Continue Reading Joe Cent – Life Before The War
Read the Transcript INT2: When you go to Berlin what aspects are you looking at in architecture? IM: Mostly for the students? INT2: Yes IM: Housing. German housing has been a succession of contradictory ideas. In the Victorian equivalent or the late Georgian equivalent, they had a particular type of building and then, it was,… Continue Reading Isi Metzstein – Reflection On Life
Read the Transcript IM: Not very much. My mother was orthodox, quite religious, and we had big battles about that. She wanted me to do the right thing and by the time I was about 14, I must admit I had lost all interest in religion, or any belief in God. And we had quite… Continue Reading Isi Metzstein – Integration
Read the Transcript IM: I wasn’t. I stayed at home with my mother INT: Right and she found work in Scotland? IM: Oh yes INT: When she came over IM: Yes. For a long time she worked in Geneen’s as a cook INT: So within the Jewish community? IM: Oh she was more related to… Continue Reading Isi Metzstein – Settling In
Read the Transcript IM: Actually not really. It was at the one stage but I was quite young of course. If I’d been older it would be probably quite uncomfortable because they found it difficult to distinguish between Germans and Germans if you know what I mean? But some of them were German. I never… Continue Reading Isi Metzstein – Life During The War
Read the Transcript IM: The 28th of June 1939 INT: And you remember it very well? IM: No I don’t…I remember the arrival, I don’t remember the date. I just happened to have recently looked at the document which was stamped with the 28th of… Of course we arrived a day earlier in London but… Continue Reading Isi Metzstein – Immigration
Read the Transcript IM: Absolutely INT: Thanks IM: So, can we start with your arrival here in Scotland? Could you tell us please when and where you were born and did you have a different name at birth or was this always your name? IM: No. My name is Isi Israel Metzstein. People think Isi… Continue Reading Isi Metzstein – Life Before The War
