Phil Gillam: Lessons from history we must not ignore

Retired mental health nurse Simon Bell has looked deeply into subjects that, frankly, many of us (myself included) would really rather not dwell on too much: Nazi Germany, genocide, the Holocaust.

And he has published two volumes – ‘Auschwitz-Birkenau: From Hell To Hope’ and ‘Tribalism and Prejudice: The Far Right and Lessons From History’.

Now then. Cards on the table. I myself (as I’ve perhaps already hinted) tend to actively avoid books and films about the Holocaust because, in all honesty (and I’m not afraid to say it), they upset me too much, and the images they evoke haunt me long, long, long after the reading/viewing.

So my first question to Simon is: How did you first become interested in the Holocaust?

He says: "I was fortunate to be raised by good parents who encouraged and nurtured an interest in history.

"I was made aware of the Holocaust from an early age. I was also somewhat preoccupied as a teenager with the genocides and cruelty that had occurred in the name of colonialism.

"When I started in mental health care 37 years ago we still had ‘long-stay’ patients who had spent many decades in psychiatric hospital care. Included amongst these patients were survivors of the war in eastern Europe – combatants, civilians, and those who had been in Nazi camps.

"Looking back at that time we had no real concept or appreciation of trauma and how it impacted upon mental health. These patients were seen as being chronically mentally ill rather than as individuals with complex trauma needs. The last twenty-two years of my career (I retired in 2016) were spent dealing with perpetrators and victims of crime. Every day I would deal with the consequences of trauma.

"I am someone who reflects and ponders constantly. I wonder how I would’ve cared for those long-stay patients if I had the knowledge of trauma that I subsequently acquired. I constantly consider it to be our duty to remember and learn the lessons of history.

"The Holocaust stands out as the ultimate genocide. It happened in living memory, on the continent we are part of, and was perpetrated by people just like us.

"The power of hate, prejudice, and propaganda gave legitimacy and permission to those who were involved in harm, or who stood silently by and allowed it to happen.

"I have been fortunate to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau many times. I have also been to Plaszow, Majdanek and other sites associated with Nazi crimes in Poland. I have met many survivors of the Holocaust and am blessed to have a close friendship with some of them.

"I feel that we have a duty to those people to be their voices when they are no longer here. I also work closely with Rainer Hoess, grandson of the commandant of Auschwitz. Rainer dedicates his life to challenging the rise of the far-right today. Together, we founded Footsteps, currently a Facebook page and website. We hope to establish a Foundation soon that will be dedicated to educating about the past and challenging hate today.”

What drove you to research this subject so thoroughly?

"The drive to research comes simply from a belief that we have a duty to learn from the past, to understand what happened, why it happened, how it happened, and what can be done to prevent it happening again.

"As many Holocaust survivors say: it did not start with the gas chambers, it started with words. The best guide to potential behaviour is previous behaviour. To understand is not to excuse, but it will guide us to the warning signs and the need and opportunity to take preventative action.”

Doesn’t this stuff give you nightmares, Simon?

"Frequently. It occupies my mind for most of every day too."

‘Auschwitz-Birkenau: From Hell To Hope’ and ‘Tribalism and Prejudice: The Far Right and Lessons From History’ are available through amazon.co.uk