Self : Ruth Borchard Collection, Isle of Man
Ruth's Original Collection currently on loan to Manx National Heritage, Isle of Man, where Ruth was interned during WWII.
Born to Jewish parents in Hamburg in 1910, in 1937 Ruth Borchard moved to England alongside around 74,000 other German and Austrian refugees.
When war was declared the Home Office set up Aliens Tribunals to examine every registered over the age of sixteen.
Between May and June 1940 around 30,000 Jewish emigres were interned. Although the government were initially reluctant to intern women Ruth Borchard was one of the 4000 Women who were interned. Officially classified as a refugee from Nazi oppression, in 1940 Ruth Borchard was sent to Holloway Prison, London, en route to the Isle of Man where she remained for the duration of the war.
In 2015 Ruth’s daughter described here mothers description of the experience:
“My mother said the worse thing was not knowing when we would be released and the best thing was the friendships forged with both fellow internees and locals”.