Escape from World War II to Canada | Margarete Tichawa's Story

Global Stories in Local Kingston
Department of History
Queen's University, Kingston ON
November 16, 2023
"Escape from World War II to Canada | Margarete Tichawa's Story"
As part of the Department of History's TH-cam series "Global Stories in Local Kingston," undergraduate student Katharine Kanters interviews Margarete Tichawa, a 92-year old German woman living in Kingston, ON. Margarete shares her story of growing up in Germany during the Second World War. She describes antisemitic violence against Jewish people that she witnessed as a child, including seeing Jewish people wearing the Star of David armbands, the burning of the Beuthen Synogogue in 1938, and walking through a concentration camp near Bremen, Germany following the war. Next, Margarete shares her experiences migrating from Germany to Canada in the early-1950s. She describes how she created a sense of community as a German immigrant in Canada, her experiences as a nurse in Kingston, ON, and how her family maintains ties to their German heritage.
Dr. Amitava Chowdhury, the Chair of the Department of History at Queen's University, describes the series as an opportunity to interview residents of Kingston who have had an interesting biography elsewhere in the world. The series shows how people and their life stories speak to global historical processes in the very local setting of Kingston.
This series was made possible by the generous donations from our benefactors, alumni, and friends of the Department of History.
Some materials, photographs, and artifacts shown in the video were provided by Margarete Tichawa and her family. The Department of History is thankful for their generous contribution.
This video was made possible by Dr. Swen Steinberg, Dr. Amitava Chowdhury, and Katharine Kanters. We would like to extend a special thank you to Margarete Tichawa and Linda Lloyd for helping us tell this story. We would also like to thank Josh Weisenberg-Vincent for recording and editing this video.

[@IngridTreleaven]

I am very grateful to you for sharing your thoughts and memories of your younger life!! So well done and I wish it was longer! It is not always
easy to bring to conversation, some memories of our past. Thank you to the Queen's history department , for bringing this conversation and story ,into our lives!!

[@brianmayfield6561]

I was really moved by this! Such a wonderful story teller and such a compassionate woman, Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother! Thank you for sharing your story with us Margaret! I wish that the video was longer, I was fascinated by every picture and every word that you spoke.

[@PeterMullinger]

a wonderful woman and a great interviewer.

[@LindaLloyd-fg6ih]

I had the pleasure of witnessing an incredibly insightful and captivating history interview. From start to finish, the experience was nothing short of exceptional. Katherine & Swen displayed a remarkable level of knowledge, passion, and professionalism that made this interview truly unforgettable.
I would like to commend Katherine for her exceptional skills. Her ability to ask thought-provoking and well-researched questions set the tone for an engaging discussion. The approach was skillful, ensuring a comfortable and relaxed environment for Margaret.
Equally deserving of praise is Margaret. It is not an easy topic, and she did great. The mutual respect between Margaret, Katherine, Swen & Josh (who did a fantastic job on the video) fostered a collaborative atmosphere, enabling her to comfortably share her story.
Overall, this history interview was a true delight!
This interview serves as a shining example of the power of storytelling and the importance of preserving our history.