This event takes place at Bankfield Museum

The Holocaust saw thousands of survivors seek refuge in England. Many of those found a home in Calderdale, where they were able to build new lives and contribute to the redevelopment of the region following the end of the Second World War.

Two notable survivors were Joseph and Margaret (later Lord and Lady) Kagan. After arriving in Britain, Joseph invented the Gannex waterproof fabric which he produced at a factory in Elland. Worn by Prime Minister Harold Wilson, Gannex coats were hugely fashionable in the mid Twentieth Century.

Join staff at Holocaust Centre North, located on the campus of The University of Huddersfield, and Bankfield Museum, for a talk and showcase of objects from the Museum collection, as we explore the stories of survival, lives and legacies of the Kagans and other Holocaust survivors who made Calderdale their new home.

The image shows Holocaust survivors Joseph Kagan and Val Ginsburg at Gannex mill, making the seat covers for the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. Courtesy of Ibi and Val Ginsburg.

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