Marianne's Story

Marianne Kewan (formerly Glass) was born in Berlin and was put on the Kindertransport aged 16 by her father. They were a Czech Jewish family who had established manufacturing businesses.  

When she arrived in the UK she worked in a dogs home, as the older ‘Kind’ of the time were given jobs to do in England, and she slept in the dogs home where she worked.  

In 1945, an American GI met her in England unexpectedly and gave her a ring and a fur coat. He had met Marianne’s father in Berlin. Her father had stayed in Berlin throughout the war, being hidden by people in the city and survived. He was one of only a handful to do so. So, Marianne got on a packed military train to Berlin and met her father again.  

After reuniting with her father, Marianne stayed in the UK. She later met her husband, Paul Kewan. Paul had survived Auschwitz, however, his wife and child had been killed in the camps. He was an entrepreneur and setup the company Ski Yoghurt.  

Marianne and Paul had no children, and so the estate was left entirely with Marianne. She died in 2015 with no living relatives. 

It is thanks to her legacy that we can continue helping more children today.